Young Hearts
by lissibear
Summary: Naruto has left the village for the three years, but will Hinata's allegiance be tested through time, other interests and by Naruto himself. Will he realize how she feels before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I. Good Bye

Right. Left. Parry. Hinata desperately dodged and countered each one of Neji's blows. He was so fast she couldn't keep up. She frantically backed up with every strike until there was nowhere to go. Hinata's eyes widened as Neji's palm stopped inches in front of her face.

Neji's expression was unreadable as he took in the site of his opponent, arms down and eyes frozen in fear, she was completely open for his attack and he shook his head in disappointment.

"Let's stop here for today."

"B-but I can keep going." Hinata stammered.

Neji turned his back to his cousin. "He'll be leaving soon. We won't be able to see him again for a long time." He shot over his shoulder as he walked away.

Hinata felt the heat rise to her face as she watched her cousin's silhouette disappear into the house. She stood there in her embarrassment at his acknowledgment of her feelings. When had he found out? He had never said anything to her before. Still, she couldn't help feeling a little thankful. The sun beat down on her as she stood in the middle of the dusty Hyuga training ground her mind racing as she imagined what she would possibly say to him. What does one say to someone who is leaving for a long period time? What does one say to someone they hardly know, but still feel so close to?

"Are you still here?" Hinata heard a voice from within the house. Startled, Hinata raced from the house and through the village. People stepped out of her way as she kicked up dust running through the dirt streets and she didn't stop until she reached the front gate. The moment she eyed him her heart stopped and she quickly hid behind the street lamp as she watched the familiar loud-mouth, yellow-haired, shinobi. He was talking to Jariyia, one of the largest men Hinata had ever seen and the fact that he was Sennin made him even more intimidating. All the different scenarios that had run through her mind earlier came flooding back and all Hinata could do was imagine herself being strong enough to approach him and say goodbye. Like acquaintances, like friends, like two people who had grown up together.

Hinata nervously played with her fingers forcing herself to build up the courage to say goodbye. She continued to watch them as her mind ran ramped. Although they were only twelve years old, he had the strength and determination equal to any shinobi in the village. Hinata knew that one day, he would be the greatest Ninja and man the village had ever seen. The sun began to set as the two figures finally headed out of the front gates of Konoha. A soft voice whispered "Goody bye, Naruto," as a single tear fell down Hinata's cheek. She hadn't done it, she hadn't found the courage to say what she wanted, she was too weak, too shy and now he was gone and he would never know she had been the only one to see him off.

Hinata stood in the same spot long after the two were visible, even by her byakugan. Three years. It will take three years before I'll see you again. Will you still be the same Naruto?

"Hey Hinata!"

Hinata jumped. The thoughts of Naruto were pushed out of her mind as she caught site of Kiba walking toward her, a small white bundle riding on top of his hooded head.

"Hey, are you waiting for someone?" He asked as he looked around.

"Oh, no, I was just. . . .well I-I." Hinata stammered as all her feelings rushed together to form one giant mass of confusion within her.

A grin spread across Kiba's face as he watched the small crease in her brow form.

"That's alright, you don't have to tell me." Kiba laughed. "I was looking for you anyway."

"Y-you were?" Hinata flushed.

Kiba absently began petting Akamaru, as the sun drifted slowly out of sight, leaving behind a sea of oranges and yellows.

"Yeah, well, I knew that today would probably be hard for you, soooo, I thought I could hang out with you, like we could get something to eat or something."

"Hinata gave Kiba a slight smile. "Okay, I guess." Hinata responded tentatively. "Should we invite Shino?"

"I already did, he wanted to come, but he had to stay with his family, something about working on the family jutsu with his father."

"Oh, I see." Hinata frowned at Kiba's answer. I hope he doesn't think this is a date. "Well then, maybe we could go to the roller rink. I've never been there."

"Alright," Kiba said enthusiastically. "I'll take Akamaru home and I'll come by to get you in about an hour." Kiba turned around to leave, then paused in mid-stride. "Uh, you'll be at your house right?"

"Yes," Hinata smirked at her friend as he nodded his head in acknowledgment and swiftly made his way home through the crowd. Hinata went the opposite direction, slowly making her way back through the village, while thoughts of Naruto took over her mind.

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"Kiba's here for you." Neji found Hinata laying on her bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Tell him I'll be right there." Hinata waited for her cousin to leave the room before she reluctantly sat up. He had ruined such a wonderful daydream. It was three years from now and she had gone out into the village to grab some ingredients for her dinner that night. While she was perusing through one of the food stands she felt a sharp bump and she fell to the ground. She scrambled to pick up the fallen fruits and vegetables, when a familiar voice rang through her ears. "I'm sorry let me help you," but the voice wasn't the same, it was deeper, huskier, more mature than the younger version she remembered so vividly. Hinata's heart fluttered at the sound of his words, although she didn't dare look up. After he had finished reloading the basket his attention quickly turned to her and he offered her his hand. "Here, let me help you up." As Hinata reached for the familiar man's hand, she dared herself to look up into his face. Her heart beat rapidly sending a waterfall of feelings throughout her entire body as she stared into the older, but familiar blue eyes of her smiling yellow-haired shinobi. As he helped her off the ground Hinata just stared. "Are you okay miss?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck in the same familiar way. "N-naruto" Hinata gasped, paralyzed by her own feelings. "Hinata? Is that you?" Naruto asked in surprise. "You look different." Hinata quickly looked down to hide the color that was pulling on her cheeks. "Is that bad?" She asked softly. "N-no," Naruto backpedaled. "I just meant that you've grown so beautiful." Hinata felt his finger underneath her chin and allowed him to guide her face until she was looking at him. She was ensnared in his eyes and couldn't look away, even if she wanted too. She was about to open her her mouth to speak, when Neji came to her door, completely destroying her wonderful dream.

Hinata forced herself out of bed and double checked her face in the mirror. There was no trace of the tears she had shed earlier that day, but her face still seemed sad. Wait, no not sad, it was missing something. As Hinata gazed at her reflection bits and pieces of her daydream began flashing through her mind. His eyes had been warm and welcoming in her daydream, while her's were the same blank void orbs they had always been. There was nothing she could do about her eyes, they would always be blank and full of nothing. Hinata stared intently at her face in the mirror, but, she wondered as she played with her hair, maybe there is something more I could do.

"Hinata!" She heard her cousin's voice.

"Coming" She answered back as loud as she could and she grabbed the black coin purse from the top of her dresser and ran down the hall.

Hinata and Kiba made there way through the crowded skating rink. Most of the people their age were there. Sakura skated around the flashing rink with Rock Lee, while Choji and Ino sat in a corner trying to speak to one another over the music. The only people missing were Neji, Shino and Shikamaru.

"So what do you want to do first?" Kiba asked as he looked down at Hinata.

"I don't know, what do you want to do." Hinata began fidgeting her fingers. It made her uncomfortable to be put on the spot. Kiba watched his friend with a smile on his face.

"It's your choice Hinata. This is your cheering up night, so we're gonna do what you want first." Kiba asserted.

"Well, I guess we could skate first, then we could play some games." Hinata nervously eyed the skating rink.

"Sounds good." Kiba agreed and he escorted Hinata toward the floor. Kiba slowly skated next to Hinata as she clung to the wall. Her feet were moving in choppy spurts and she was afraid she would fall if she let go. Patiently, Kiba showed Hinata how to push her foot out in a longer and more graceful movement and he held onto her elbow as she practiced the longer movement around the ring. Still, she continued to hold onto the wall with her free hand.

"I think you can let go now." Kiba urged. Hinata looked back at him, terror in her eyes.

"Come on Hinata, I'll be right here, I won't let you fall." Kiba's eyes were full of sincere confidence. Hinata closed her eyes, took a deep breath and lifted her hand off the wall. She began to wobble and felt one of her feet come out from under her, but instead of the hard thud she expected, she landed softly into Kiba's chest and he gently put her back onto her feet.

"I told you I wouldn't let you fall." He whispered in her ear.

Hinata ignored the intimate gesture and looked straight ahead, concentrating on her feet.

Gradually Hinata learned how to skate by herself and soon Kiba had her chasing after him. When she was able to keep up with him, he decided it was time for them to play some games. The two played red light green light with some of the other ninjas and Hinata had to grab onto Kiba every time someone yelled RED LIGHT, just so she could stop. Kiba would help her by putting an arm around her waist, or wrapping his hands around her shoulder, but Hinata never noticed. The game ended when Choji couldn't stop on a red light and he skated right into Ino. Ino responded with a right handed slap and everyone quietly dispersed as Ino cut into Choji. After the game, Hinata and Kiba raced each other around the rink, Kiba won the first few times, but Hinata was pleased to win the last few, although she had a sneaking suspicion he had let her win.

"I'm tired." Hinata told Kiba as they skated around the rink.

"Do you want to stop?" He shouted back over the music.

"Yeah! We could play some games or something." Hinata offered.

Kiba nodded his head in acknowledgment and lead Hinata off of the floor and over to the gaming area.

"Alright!" Kiba shouted once they entered the arcade, "Air Hockey my favorite." Hinata looked around the arcade and watched as Kiba made his way over to a white table in the middle of the room.

"What's air hockey?" Hinata asked confused by her friend's reaction.

"Only the best game ever, here let me show you." He offered as Hinata joined him at the table.

Kiba gave Hinata one of the hitting pieces and put the puck on the table.

"Basically you want to hit that puck into the hole on my side of the table, but I want to try and stop you. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins. I'll let you try first." Kiba offered.

Hinata hesitated before reaching across the table and hitting the puck at Kiba. Kiba responded swiftly and knocked the puck straight back at Hinata and into her goal.

"Don't worry, you'll get better, but now you have the idea right?"

Kiba spent the rest of the night showing Hinata how to hit the puck and how to place it where she wanted on the board. Once she got the hang of it they played a few games. Hinata laughed and smiled as she watched the puck slide into Kiba's goal and cringed as he shot the puck right back.

"This is so much fun." She said, then paused. "I didn't know you liked this game."

Kiba shrugged. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"But we're teammates." Hinata said defensively.

"So." Kiba shrugged again.

"I don't know, I guess I just thought I knew you better because I see you everyday." Hinata sputtered.

"We do know a lot about each other, at least the important stuff Hinata," Kiba said comfortingly, "like if I were hurting I wouldn't be able to hide it from you and Shino, right?"

Hinata thought about what he said for a moment and barely opened her mouth. "Right." She said softly.

"The same with me. If you or Shino were hurting I would know too. This other stuff is just that, other stuff, but you guys are closer to me than anyone else our age because we spend so much time together. I know that you guys will always have my back and I'll always have yours because we're friends."

Hinata smiled. "Do you really believe that?" She asked hopefully.

"You know I do." Kiba winked at her and flashed her a wide smile then glanced down at his watch. "Are you ready to go home? It's starting to get late."

"I guess I'm getting a little tired." Hinata admitted.

Kiba and Hinata walked in silence as they made their way down the deserted streets of Konoha. The street lamps gave off a warm and inviting glow and Hinata felt the weight of the days events. It had been hard for her to say goodbye to Naruto, but Kiba did a good job of keeping her occupied. She had to admit that she even had fun. Hinata shuttered as a slight breeze past by them and Kiba silently wrapped her in his warm jacket. As she snuggled into the woolly lining of Kiba's coat, Hinata wondered what tonight would have been like if she had gone out with Naruto, would Naruto think they were friends? They hardly ever saw each other, but she had felt close to him through the small interactions they had. Her mind instantly wandered to the day she fought Neji during the Chuunin exams. She had only stood up to Neji because of Naruto's faith in her and she liked to think that she had a small part in his defeat over Neji. She had spoken to him briefly before the fight. Naruto had been uncertain of himself and Hinata liked to think that she had helped see how strong he is again. As Hinata's thoughts lingered on Naruto, she remembered the daydream she had earlier and his piercing blue eyes. Why couldn't her eyes hold more substance? When she had looked in the mirror, all she saw was Neji's stoic eyes staring back at her. The mirror. Hinata contemplated the idea she had earlier as she stared at herself in that mirror. She had a strong urge to ask Kiba about it, but she wasn't sure.

"Kiba" she quietly began, "did you really mean what you said about us being friends?"

"Of course I did Hinata." Kiba gave her an inquisitive look.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it Hinata?" Kiba's voice was full of concern.

"Please don't laugh, but I don't have any girl friends and I need to ask someone." Hinata looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm deeply intrigued now." Kiba laughed. "What's so important that it can't wait for you to find a girl to ask?"

"Well...you see..." Hinata instintively began to play with her fingers. "It's...just that...it's just that your a boy and you might have a better idea about it, that's all."

"Okay, so what is it Hinata?" Kiba's eyes narrowed in a worried expression while his hood shadowed his face.

"Well, uh, what do you think of my hair?" Hinata blurted out and immediately turned a shade of pink.

Kiba chuckled. "It's short, why?" Kiba was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with conversation. He didn't know anything about hair. Where was her house? Shouldn't it be somewhere around all this foliage?

Hinata shook her head. "That's not what I meant, I mean, should I grow it out? As a guy you must have some idea of what a guy likes?"

"Well, I, uh, that is, I mean, I don't know Hinata, maybe you should ask a girl about this stuff. I know that my sister and my mom have longer hair, but I've never really thought about it."

"Oh" Hinata gave a deflated sigh.

They continued on in silence until they finally reached her house. Then Kiba turned to Hinata and she looked down at her feet.

"Why do you suddenly care about your hair?" Kiba asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I was just wondering if I should grow it out, you know before . . .well you know, I just thought it might make me prettier."

Kiba felt his heart break a little as the tiny Hyuga girl in front of him sputtered out these last words. He knew what she was asking.

"You can do whatever you like Hinata, but you are pretty just the way you are, and one day he'll see it too, and if he doesn't, whoever he is, then he's dense." Kiba gently took Hinata in his arms and pressed her against him.

"Really Kiba?"

"Yes, Hinata."

"Thank you." She whipered as she took his jacket off and handed it back. As she turned to go inside, he stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait, Hinata, I almost forgot, I got something for you to cheer you up, but you can't open it until you get inside, okay." Kiba began fumbling around in his pockets.

Hinata gave Kiba a quizzical look.

"You have to promise or I won't give it to you." He pressed.

"I promise." Hinata said nervously.

Hinata watched as Kiba reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a white envelope and handed it to her.

"Hope this makes you feel better, it's a gift from me and Shino. We thought it would help you when times get tough." Then he put his hooded jacket back on and inhaled her sweat scent. "Good night Hinata." He said as he turned to make his way back home.

Hinata watched Kiba make his way down the dirt path and out of sight. Then she ran inside and into her room shutting the door. Her heart raced as she looked at the plain white envelope in her hand. Quickly she tore the top off and pulled the contents of the envelope out. Hinata's heart stopped and her eyes began to water all over again as she stared at the photo in her hand. She could never have asked for a more perfect gift than the one she had received tonight. Kiba was right about friends and her heart swelled up as she stared into the face of her shinobi. She was not ready to say good bye to him just yet, and she would never be ready to let go, three years or not. Hinata's last concious thought was of his eyes, then she drifted off still clutching the picture to her breast.


	2. Chapter 2

"Get up boy, we're not done yet." Jiraiya chuckled as he circled around the young gennin laying face down in front of him in the middle of the lush green forest.

"Aye," the boy groaned as he rubbed his head. "Dattebayo. I haven't eaten for three days, can't we stop for something to eat ero-sennin?"

"This is part of your training boy."

"How is starving me part of my training. I can't get off the ground because I'm so weak. How am I to perform any jutsus?" Naruto complained.

"If you are too weak to fight without food now boy, perhaps you are too weak to protect Konoha, perhaps you are too weak to be called a ninja."

Naruto felt a twinge of emotion spark inside his belly as he listened to these words.

"I am not too weak! You, you PERVY SAGE! I will be the strongest ninja in Konoha someday! Someday, I will be HOKAGE!" He shouted defiantly.

"A Hokage who cannot protect his village unless he is properly feed? Even the Hokage must make do with what she has in a fight or on a mission."

"What does that mean pervy sage? No one can fight in this condition!" Naruto shot back.

Jiraiya sighed. This would be harder than he thought.

"As a ninja, you will not always have the luxury of a ramen shop Naruto!"

"Then I will make sure to pack all that I need!"

"Are you dense Naruto, or are you trying my patience on purpose. Even the cleverest ninja cannot anticipate exactly how many supplies he will need and not every mission goes according to plan Naruto. A seemingly simple mission that should only take days may change its course at the drop of a Kunai. What will you do then Naruto? What will you do when your days worth of food has dissipated into a months worth of battle? What will you do then Naruto? Give up, let your comrades die because you are too weak to go on?

Naruto felt the twinge inside his belly grow. Each word Jiraiya spoke fueled the fire. Soon Naruto could not hold back the infernal inside him anymore. He felt the internal power taking over his body. He would not let his comrades die. He was not weak.

Jiraiya stood in horror at the monster that stood before him.

"Naruto! Naruto listen to me. You have to fight back this beast, this demon. The Kyuubi does not make you strong. The Kyuubi feeds on your weakness!"

The Kyuubi just snarled in reply as the flames from the nine-tailed fox swirled around and shot out in every direction.

"Naruto! Listen to me boy! You have to suppress this demon, you have to take back control, that's the only way you will become stronger!"

Jiraiya heard a loud growl and before he could react the Kyuubi was upon him, battering him with its fiery paws. Jiraiya quickly pulled his scroll from behind his back and wiped the blood from his chest across it. Then Jiraiya performed the summoning jutsu he hoped would save him.

In no time the Chief Toad was there by his side.

"Kyuubi!" The large toad cried in alarm as he quickly scanned the area. He spotted Jiraiya just underneath the hulking demon.

"Jiraiya!"

"I need you to hold the demon down while I replace the seal!" The trapped Ninja ordered.

"But, I cannot hold him down, I will be burned Jiraiya!" The toad said indignantly.

"Please." Jiraiya choked out as the Kyuubi slammed another paw directly into his chest.

"Why do you always summon me to these places?" The toad complained as he rushed the Kyuubi into a tree.

"Now Jiraiya! Before it's too late!" The Chief shouted as the Kyuubi's power began drying out his amphibious skin and turning it to ash.

Jiraiya held out his hand and a white light began to emanate at the tip of each finger as he said the name of each seal.

"Light, Dark, Peace, War, Relief ." Then Jiraiya ran straight for the Kyuubi with all of his strength.

"I cannot hold on any longer!" The charred toad cried as he unleashed the Kyuubi on his friend and watched helplessly as the two collided into the other. The toad turned away and listened to the explosion. Slowly, he turned around and found Jiraiya's body lying next to the a young boy. He looked no older than thirteen and he had blonde spiky hair. Without hesitation, the frog took the two unconscious shinobi and left them where they would be safe before disappearing.

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"Jiraiya," Naruto breathed as he floated into consciousness. Where am I? What happened? Naruto lifted a hand to rub his eyes before opening them. He did not recognize where he was as his gaze fell upon the open window, the plain white walls, and the empty cupboard standing in front of his bed. It wasn't until his eyes came upon the I.V. sticking out of his arm that it dawned on him.

Jiraiya, I must go to him. Naruto quickly sat up in his bed, only to be stopped by the sharp pain in his head. Naruto winced and tried to rub the headache away. What is this? Naruto's stomach was bumpy and red all around his seal. Almost as if it were fresh. Jiraiya, what happened? Naruto pulled the I.V. from his arm and forced himself out of the bed. He had to find Jiraiya.

Naruto searched the rooms up and down the hall of his floor, but he could not find the sennin. Where could he have gone? Did he leave? No he couldn't have. Naruto felt it. Bravely he made his way to the main desk on his floor.

"I am looking for a man named Jiraiya."

The woman behind the desk eyed Naruto up and down.

"There is no one here by that name."

The woman dismissively turned her head back to the cross-word puzzle she had been solving.

"No!"Naruto slammed his hands down. "He has to be here! He's a big guy with long, white hair and maroon colored stripes running down his cheeks.

"Oh, him, he's on the first floor, where the rest of the ER patience are." She informed him without looking up.

Naruto's eyes widened at her words and he sprinted down the hall toward the elevator. He can't be. . .no he couldn't be. . .he just had to be alright. Naruto impatiently waited for the elevator to reach the first floor, then he ran down the narrow hallway. Frantically searching for Jiraiya.

When he finally found him, he wasn't awake and he was hooked up to a ventilator. There was a charred hole in his chest. It appeared that the Doctor's had tried to treat it, but couldn't.

Naruto made his way to Jiraiya's side. He put his hand out to lightly touch him, his eyes filled with tears. Dual emotions rose inside Naruto. What happened? Did he do this?

He laid his head on Jiraiya's hand and allowed the water to flow freely from his eyes. He couldn't remember what had happened, but he knew it was his fault.

"N-naruto," a soft voice spoke.

Naruto's heart leaped, but quickly subsided when he lifted his head to look at his sensai.

"Jiraiya? Did I do this?" Naruto wondered as he absently looked at the wall above Jiraya's head. He didn't want to hear the truth.

Jiraiya turned his head away, then weakly answered.

"Yes."

"B-but how?" Naruto stuttered.

"You lost control of yourself Naruto." Jiraiya lectured the boy from his hospital bed. "You allowed the Kyuubi to feed on your weakness and take over."

"B-but I couldn't do it on my own." Naruto try to make Jiraiya see how weak he had been. He couldn't continue training on his power alone.

"Naruto, you have to learn to rely on yourself and the people around you. Only then will you become strong."

"B-but how do I do that?"

"I can only tell you what you need to know boy. Unfortunately you'll have to figure out how to tap into your strength on your own. It is a personal journey and everybody's is different. Everyone arrives at personal strength through different means boy. Until you find yours, it looks like I'lll have to change my training technique, so that we don't risk you going Kyuubi again."

"Will it happen again?" Naruto asked in horror.

Jiraiya stared up at Naruto, studying his face.

"It shouldn't. The seal I put on you should hold, but in case it doesn't, I'll have to give you something so you can control the demon yourself."

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Hinata woke up still holding onto his picture, just like she did every morning since he left. She brought the now slightly wrinkled image of Naruto to her face. Don't give up she silently chanted to herself, then she kissed the picture and tucked it inside her pillowcase. As Hinata began to stretch she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Hinata was greeted by the site of her younger sister. She looked almost identical to Hinata, but while Hinata was timid and shy, with a feminine gracefulness, Hanabi was more certain of herself and her presence demanded attention. Hanabi drank in the site of her sister still in bed and gave her a disapproving look.

"Father wants a word with you in his study."

"Oh, he does? What about?"

"I don't know, but it seemed urgent."

With that, Hanabi left Hinata to hurridly throw on some clothes and brush her teeth. Before she ran out the door she took one last look in the mirror and stopped. In the months that had passed since Naruto had left she had been so caught up in her grief she hadn't noticed how much her hair had grown. It was dancing below her jawline now and she couldn't just get up and go anymore. It was unkempt and needed to be brushed. Quickly Hinata grabbed a comb and ran it through her hair, all the while admiring the way it fell back down in place and framed her face with each stroke. When she finished, she quickly checked out the final product and allowed a satisfied smile to spread across her face before she rushed to see her father, Hiashi Hyuga.

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"Hey Shino, what's up with Hinata?" Kiba inquired after their friend. All three of them had meet up at team 8's designated training ground and they were methodically alternating between team tactics and personal combat moves. They easily switched between the two, like a well choreographed dance.

"What do you mean?" Shino asked as he jumped backward in the air and landed on the closest tree branch.

"I mean she's acting different, don't you see it?" Kiba grunted out the last words as he launched himself in a less advance version of fang over fang toward Shino.

"You mean her new found dedication?" Shino absently threw an attack towards Hinata. She had been sitting down taking a rest, but when the group trained, there was no rest, besides, didn't she just ask them to come at her with all they had. Deceiving her into thinking he wasn't paying attention to her was the best way to take her by surprise. Shino simultaneously threw a right at Kiba, as they conversed under the shield of practicing their taijutsu.

"Yeah, I mean, after Naruto left she was more energized about improving herself, but today its not the same. . .it's like she's gone mad with idea of becoming stronger." Kiba's eyebrow rose as he tried to analyze Hinata's intentions.

"I know what you mean." Shino acknowledged Kiba's observations about their comrade as he dodged Akamaru's attack from behind and watched the bugs he had called out earlier rain down on Hinata. Hinata swiftly hopped into her fighting stance and started her now infamous eight palms jutsu. "She wants us to come at her with everything we have, but why? Something must have happened to trigger this type of response in her."

As Hinata finished off the last of Shino's bugs, Kiba sent Akamaru at Hinata, after giving him a pill, then Kiba threw another cross at Shino.

"She must be getting tired, we've been going at it for hours now. No Shinobi we encounter will be able to keep up this pace for very long." Kiba brushed the sweat from his forehead.

"Hmm. . .maybe Kiba, but it's best to be prepared for anything. Still I think that you might be right about stopping for rest. Maybe we could find out what has sparked this new obsession in Hinata."

"Right." Kiba concurred.

Kiba and Shino quit there attacks on each other and turned their attention to Hinata, who was still trying to shake a very persistent Akamaru. Shino moved his bugs in mass and surrounded Hinata while Kiba called back Akamaru. Then, Kiba and Akamaru barreled through Shino's bugs straight toward Hinata in fang over fang. Exhausted by all the chakra she had spent fighting off Shino's bugs earlier, Hinata could do nothing more but watch as Kiba and Akamaru plowed into her. Hinata tightly shut her eyes and waited for the heavy impact, but none came. As Kiba sailed by her, he scooped Hinata up and cradled her to his chest as his back collided with the tree. When the dust settled and Hinata regained her composure, she realized where she was and quickly jumped up and turned around.

"Thank you Kiba. It seems I still have a long way to go before I can stand on my own." Hinata's eyes automatically fell to the ground in shame.

"Who told you that?" Kiba insisted.

"It's just the truth Kiba, don't act like you don't know it. I do nothing but hinder our team, I am weak and useless." Hinata thought about the conversation she had earlier with her father.

"If you really were weak Hinata, you never would have been accepted as a gennin Kunochi." Hinata flushed at Shino's words. Did he really mean them?

"Besides, we have bigger things to worry about Hinata," Kiba continued. "We need to work with each other as much as we can so that we'll blast through that Chuunin exam this time." Kiba flashed Hinata a smile and she quickly looked down.

"I-I suppose you guys are right, b-but I still need to get stronger so that I don't drag you two down with me." She instantly began fiddling with her fingers.

"You're not gonna drag us down Hinata, you're are teammate and no one else would ever be able to fill your shoes." Kiba tried a different tactic.

"Yes. With you Hinata, our team is the best recon team out there. No other team has the tracking ability we do." Shino added, wanting to help cheer up their teammate.

Hinata went quiet. Her teammates genuinely believed in her, so why didn't anyone else? She had to prove that she was strong to everybody else, especially Naruto. Naruto. At the thought of his name, Hinata's resolve began to harden again. She couldn't let him be taken away from her so easily.

"Well, shouldn't we continue to train for the Chuunin exam? It's only in the next couple of months after all." Hinata asked, her newfound courage shining through.

"Don't worry we will." Kiba answered. "But we've been trainning all day, we were going to quit soon anyway."

"Oh" Hinata's eyes went down again. "I-I'm not ready to quit yet."

"It's best if we stop for today." Shino interjected. "Don't forget that rest is an essential part of training Hinata. Why don't you, Kiba and I meet up here again tomorrow."

"We're ending so soon?" Hinata cried, panick in her voice.

"We've already been here for hours Hinata, and I promised my father I'd be back to continue working on our family jutsu." Shino explained.

"Oh." Hinata hung her head.

"But don't worry Hinata, how about we work on making another jutsu for you tomorrow? Since, you want to get stronger?" Kiba appeased.

"Well, I guess." Hinata reluctantly agreed. She looked up at the sky and saw the sun lowering in the sky. It's that late already? Maybe it's best if we did stop now she thought. "There's something that I have to do before the sun goes down anyway. I want to make it back home before the light is completely gone."

"Til tomorrow." Shino said as he turned and walked away.

Kiba and Hinata watched their teammate turn the corner and vanish from site, then Kiba turned to Hinata.

"So, um, I was thinking, since I don't have anything to do today, that I, um, could go with you while you do whatever it is that you need to do. What was it again?" Kiba scratched his head and gave her a cool smile.

"Well, yeah, I guess you can come Kiba, I was just going to buy a locket on my way home." Hinata told him.

"Oh yeah, why?" Kiba really was curious now.

Hinata instantly began to fidget. She didn't feel entirely comfortable telling Kiba what the locket was for, so she settled for a half-truth.

"It's so that I can keep my strength close to my heart. It seems... today it seems that I need more of a reminder of it than I did in the past." She hastily spilled out the last part and resumed her customary position with her eyes downcast.

"Oh, well I think I can help." Kiba's faced brightened, he knew exactly where to take her.

Kiba lead Hinata to a little jewelry shop tucked away in the edges of Konoha. Hinata eyed the place suspiciously. It looked deserted. The roof was in desperate need of repairs and one of the windows had been knocked out and replaced with a jumble of wood.

"How do you know about this place?" She asked as she eyes the dilpidated exterior.

"Lets just say that he's a friend of the family."

As Kiba finished talking, he opened the door to the little building and pushed Hinata inside the dingy old building. Hinata held her breath at the unexpect sight in front of her. All around, showcased in the highest quality glass was the biggest selection of fine jewelry Hinata had ever seen in Konoha. She had never seen such lovely pieces, even at the high end retail stores found in the central business district of Konoha.

"Go ahead, choose whichever piece you'd like." Kiba nudged Hinata.

"B-but I can't afford any of this." She protested.

"Don't worry, it's on the house."

"On the house?" Hinata gave Kiba a confused stare.

"That's right little miss, it's on the house, any friend of Kiba's is a friend of mine, just as long you don't forget to tell people where you got it from. Now what are you looking for?"

Hinata stared at the wild haired, dark eyed man behind the counter and immediately began playing with her fingers. Kiba just gave his ever knowing smile as he looked at Hinata then answered the man.

"We're looking for a heart locket, right Hinata? A heart locket?"

"Y-yes."

The man stared at Kiba and Hinata then began to fumble with the keys in his hand.

I've got just the thing for your girlfriend Kiba. Hinata blushed furiously at the strangers words.

"Oh, she's not my girlfriend Ryoga, she's my teammate. I told her that I'd help her find a locket."

"Oh, sorry my mistake. What kind of locket do you need?"

"W-what?" Hinata shyly looked away from the man.

"Do you need a locket of gold, one that opens, one with diamonds, hunh? What are you looking for?"

Hinata hadn't realized there were so many types of lockets before, she just needed one that opened.

"Um. . .um" Hinata began to feel wuzzy under the pressure.

"She needs one that opens." Kiba chimed in.

"Okay, a locket that opens coming right up."

The man quickly opened one of the cases, picked out an item and gingerly put the silver locket into Hinata's hands. Hinata just stared down at it. She hadn't seen anything more beautiful. The chain and heart were the same silver as her eyes and right in the center sat a smaller ruby heart. Carefully Hinata caressed the necklace in her hand and found a small bump. She applied a little pressure and she felt the bump slide down and the locket pop open. Hinata smiled and looked up at Kiba.

"How much is it?"

"It's on the house." The man said ruffly.

"B-but, I-I have money, I couldn't possibly. . ."

"Look, it's on the house. Any friend of Kiba's is a friend of mine, just make sure you let people know where you got it, kay girlie. Send a little business my way and we'll be even." The man turned around and headed toward the back of the shop.

"B-but. . ."

Kiba pushed Hinata out the door and thanked Ryoga before she had anymore time to protest.

"Why did he do that?" Hinata looked at Kiba, curiosity filling her silver eyes.

"Let's just say he owed me a favor." Kiba grinned that familiar grin.

"What do you mean he owed you a favor, what did you do?'

"Well, I kinda set him up with my sister. He'd been trying to go out with her for years and I offered him that extra push."

"Oh, so now you can just get whatever you want?"

"No, not exactly. It was really just a one time deal. I don't really have anyone to give anything to, and I don't need jewelry for myself, so it was a no brainer letting you take my reward. I mean, you need it more than I do anyway. I don't know anyone else who carries their inner strength with them in such a small package." Kiba gave Hinata a knowing look and she quickly turned away.

"Speaking of strength, why were you so upset about not being strong enough earlier? Did something happen to you?" Kiba's wild eyes turned soft with sympathy.

"No, I just don't feel like I'm getting anywhere, I'm still more of hindrance than an asset to you and Shino." Hinata repeated her words from earlier. She couldn't let him, not just yet.

"That's not true Hinata. Besides, even if you ever were, over the last few months you've begun to grow into one of the strongest Kunochi I've ever seen. I don't care what the reason is for you improving your skills, but one day I hope you can see how strong you are. Still I just can't help feeling like you're not telling me something." Kiba had many senses, and being able to feel insincerity, no matter how good-willed, was one of them.

Hinata flinched at his accusation and she remembered the conversation she had with him the night Naruto left. 'You can't hide anything from your teammates,' he had said, and apparently he was right. Suddenly a surge of guilt ran through Hinata. Why was she trying to hide her life from Kiba and Shino, they just wanted to be there for her.

"It's true Kiba, something did happen today, but I'm not ready to tell you about it yet. Please tell me you understand?"

"How can I understand something I know nothing about?"

"Just help me please. Help me find the strength I need to be a great Kunochi, but for now, I can't tell you anything else. So if nothing else, please respect my wishes."

Kiba just nodded his head in agreement. He didn't understand at all. Maybe Shino would know.

"Thanks Kiba. Friends right?" She smiled up at him as she scratched Akamaru behind the ear. Kiba swallowed the large lump that had formed in throat.

"Friends" he said as he forced a smile. Then he watched Hinata run down the path toward the great Hyuuga property.

Hinata quickly ran to her room and shut the door behind her. Hastily she grabbed her pillow and reached inside its case. There she found what she was looking for. Carefully she made the incisions around his face, then gently placed the tiny heart shaped figure inside her locket and fastened it around her neck. The piece fell just above her heart, and she smiled. I won't give up, she quietly chanted to herself as her heart burned with the heavy weight of her strength. I cannot leave you Naruto. I won't let him make me.


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata arrived at team 8 training ground early the next day. No one was there yet, so she made herself comfortable underneath her favorite tree. It was early summer and the training ground was alive with the sounds of birds chirping, the rustling grass and squirrels playfully chasing each other up the trees. Hinata closed her eyes and felt the sun beating down on her porcelain face and the wind tumble through her hair. Then she sighed and put her hand on her sweater, over the place her heart was hidden.

Hinata felt the weight of her locket and her heart swelled as Naruto suddenly came walking through the trees in the distance. "Naruto" she breathed. She watched as he walked right over to her, an inviting smile gracing his face. "Hinata, what are you doing?" He greeted her. Hinata felt her heart pounding and her head began to spin with all the thoughts running through her mind, but one thought stood out over any of the others. "I'm waiting for Kiba and Shino, we're suppose to train today. What are you doing her Naruto? You're not suppose to be back for awhile. Does Sakura know you're back?" "No, nobody knows. Jiraiya and I decided it would be best if I had someone from the village with me while I finish my training. I get so homesick sometimes I fell like I can't go on." Hinata's throat became stiff and she had to swallow hard in order to move her mouth. "W-who were you going to take with you?" Naruto leaned in closer to Hinata and gently caressed her cheek. Hinata's cheeks instantly turned the rosy color Naruto was use to. "You." He softly whispered in her ear. He wants me to go away with him. The thought raced through Hinata's mind before she went completely limp. Then Naruto gently scooped her up into his arms and took her away with him through the trees, away from Konoha.

"Hinata! Hinata!" Hinata opened her eyes to find Kiba standing over her.

"You awake now? Shino and I have been here for awhile now. I had to convince him to let me wake you up so we could get some training in before the day is gone." He gave her a warm look.

Hinata looked around her teammate to see Shino leaning against the trunk of a far off tree.

"We're going to work on a new technique for you today, remember? So you get stronger. Are you ready?"

Hinata nodded, but secretly wondered what him and Shino had planned for her to do. It made her nervous.

"Wait here a sec while I get Shino, okay?"

Hinata watched Kiba make his way over to their other teammate. Kiba said something to Shino and Shino responded back. Then Kiba began waving his hands in the air and it looked almost as if he was yelling something at Shino. Finally the two made there way back over to Hinata.

"What's wrong?" She looked back and forth between her two teammates for an answer.

"Well. . .you see Hinata. . .Uh. . .we. . .he. . ." Kiba's stuttering was cut off by Shino.

"We don't have any plan to develop a new jutsu for you, since we lack the full understanding of your capabilities."

"Oh, is that all." Hinata's head dropped.

"But, but we can still help you. We thought we could put you through some drills today to see what your strengths are and what you could work on." Kiba desperately suggested.

"That's fine, what should I do first." Hinata patiently waited for some kind of direction.

"How about we work on your reflexes, with him." Shino walked over and put his hand on Akamaru's head. "Once you can out maneuver Akamaru, we'll see how you fair against my bugs."

Hinata readied herself for Akamaru's attack. "Bayukugon." Gottcha, right behind that tree. Hinata prepared for her attack from behind, but in a flash Akamaru was gone. Where is he? Suddenly she felt a big slobbery tongue on her face.

"Why couldn't I see him?" Hinata's eyes watered in frustration.

"I slipped him a pill," Kiba laughed. "I knew you'd be able to keep up with him no problem as normal Akamaru, but I gave him a pill that makes him a little harder to keep track of."

"Oh" Hinata just stared at the ground.

"What are you three doing?" All of them turned around to face their Sensei Kurenai. She stood with her hands on her hips and her red eyes were narrowed.

"Kiba and Shino were trying to help become stronger sensei." Hinata didn't even look up at her instructor.

"Yeah, we thought we could help her learn a new technique." Kurenai raised an eyebrow at Kiba.

"Is this true Shino?"

"Yes Kurenai sensei."

"Hinata, you're not ready to learn a new technique just yet. You need to strengthen everything you already have before you can move on. I understand that you want to become stronger, but you're fine the way you are. You're strength will grow when it's ready. Do you understand?"

Hinata looked into Kurenai's eyes, frustration flowing through her veins. "I-I understand Kurenai Sensei."

"Good, now lets get some real training done." Kurenai began barking orders at her team and didn't stop until the sun had finally gone down.

Later that night Hinata sat in her room icing her ankles and thinking about her training from earlier. Everybody thought that she was weak, even Kurenai. She didn't even want to help Hinata work on a new technique. Hinata let her emotions begin to overwhelm her and she pulled the locket out of her shirt. As she stared at the confident face in front of her she felt even more confused. "Naruto, what would you do?" She quietly asked. She almost expected a response, but instead her question was met with the quiet chirping of the crickets outside. Hinata laid in bed staring into her locket until she slowly drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, Hinata woke up and felt refreshed. She knew what she had to do. She turned over to find the locket lying by her side, face open. Thank you naruto, I'll never give up. Hinata hastily made herself presentable, then she went out to find Neji.

She found Neji where he always was. Training at the clan's training ground. Hinata watched Neji pummel an imaginary attacker in the middle of the dry desert like ring he was in. She had never really like the clan's training ground it was too uninspiring for her taste. Not like her team's training ground. Patiently she waited for Neji to come to a standstill before she tentatively approached him.

"What do you want?" Neji asked as he looked down on her from the corner of his eye.

"I-I w-was j-just wondering i-if y-you c-could t-teach m-me a n-new t-technique?"

"Isn't that what your sensei is for?" He asked condescendingly.

"I-I" Hinata swallowed and slowly began to back away. As her foot stepped down, she felt a familiar thump on her chest. In an instant her eyes hardened with purpose. "I want to become stronger. I would like you to help me." She spit the words out before she had any time to resist.

Neji eyed his cousin up and down, Hinata felt the scrutiny under his emotionless gaze.

"Why should I teach you anything?" He countered.

"Because I want to change my destiny." Hinata stubbornly shot back.

Hinata could see Neji's' face soften at her words, but in an instant it was replaced by the same indifference he always wore. After a long pause Neji spoke.

"Very well Hinata. You want to change your destiny, we begin now!" He ordered as he prepared himself to fight.

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise. She had never really believed he would accept to train her, let alone expect her to start training now.

"I understand if you have changed your mind." Neji icily said to his stunned cousin.

"N-no. NO! I am ready. NOW!" Hinata declared as she positioned herself to fight.

"Come at me like you normally would for now." Neji instructed.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, then attacked Neji with her gentle fist. Neji easily blocked every attack Hinata came at him with and counted every time he could penetrate her defenses. They danced around in a circle of chakra filled taijutsu until Neji had enough.

"Stop." Neji ordered as Hinata's hand halted in mid-air.

"You need to focus your chakra to your hands more Hinata. By focusing all your chakra to your hands, your striking will become more effective because each blow will have more than twice the amount of power."

"More chakra." Hinata repeated.

"Precisely. Now come at me again, but this time focus all your chakra to your hands."

"How will I know when it's right?"

Neji gave his cousin a knowing smile.

"When I'm not able to block you."

Neji swiftly took his fighting stance and ran at Hinata. Hinata put her arms up to counter. As Neji's palm skidded off Hinata's shoulder, her palm smashed into his chest.

"Concentrate your chakra more."

"I can't!" She cried as Neji landed a blow to her chest.

"Yes you can, I can see chakra too remember." Hinata hit the inside of Neij's leg as she dodged his attack from above.

"Is that all you have Hinata? If so, you should quit now. You'll never be strong enough, not for Kurenai, not for your father and definitely not for Naruto." His voice lingered on the last name.

Naruto. The name resounded in Hinata's mind. I have to do this for Naruto. As Hinata drew back to strike Neji in the chest, she felt a giant wave of energy crash through her body. Hinata threw her hand forward and Neji stepped inches out of reach, his eyes wide in wonder. Then a few white sparks emitted from Hinata's hand before she collapsed on the floor from exhaustion.

Hinata floated in and out of consciousness over the next few days, but she could hear people talking. She tried to strain her ears to listen, but the only thing she heard were bits and pieces of conversations.

"Yes sir. A light emitted from her hand."

"No, not even I can call on that much."

"Still, she is inferior to you in every other way Neji, she is weak."

"Forgive me Hiashi, but inner strength is not weak. . ."

"I would have expected a different response from you of all people Neji. . ."

". . .Hiashi, I have something to tell you."

"What is it Neji."

"After I finished training with Hinata, I-I saw a figure of a boy about our age. He disappeared shortly after I spotted him."

"Who was it?"

"I am unsure, but I believe it was Sasuke."

"Have you told the Hokage about this?"

. . .Hinata drifted back into unconciousness, her head full of images of her father, Neji and Sasuke.

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Come on, I've gotta do this. Naruto stared at the palm of his hand desperately trying to gather any chakra, a drop. He'd been trying to do this for months and still all he saw in his hand was the white of his palm. Wait, wait, what's that? A small white wisp began to rise over Naruto's hand.

"I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT IT!" Naruto celebrated as a slew of half-naked women ran by him.

Jiraiya glanced over at Naruto's hand, anger lining every crease on his face.

"You haven't done it you idiot, that's just mist from the hot spring. Can't you tell the difference." Jiraiya longingly looked toward the bamboo wall he had been haniging over just a minute before. "I'll tell you what you have done boy. You've ruined my research."

Naruto looked around the smokey tub of water. The steam was more visible against the backdrop of a midnight black sky.

"Well if you had actually been training me instead of being a pervert I would know the difference." Naruto's eyes narrowed at Jiraiya.

"Look boy, you're moving your chakra the wrong way. I've already told you that." Jiraiya lazily slumped into the spring.

"Well how am I supposed to fix it?" Naruto demanded.

"You have to figure that yourself boy. I told you this would be hard technique to learn. One of the reason's it is so hard is it requires the student to think critically about themselves and their abilities. In fact, some people had to eventually come to terms with the fact they just didn't have the ability to wield the resengan. Most don't, but you my boy have the opposite problem. You may not have the intelligence to create it." Jiraiya chuckled at his own joke.

Naruto glared at water. "I can do it pervy sage, just like I beat Neji during the Chuunin exams."

Jiraiya watched Naruto stare down his hand. Then he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Okay boy, you want my help? Here it is. Watch the water in the spring. See how it flows into opposing directions. Now look at the outside of the spring, where the water isn't coming up. That water is flowing in the same direction. Basically you're chakra is the first one, but you need it to be the second."

Jiraiya stuied Naruto as his eyes focused and his nose wrinkled in his effort to recreate the resengan again.

"Are you tired boy?"

"No, I can go for days without sleep." Jiraiya smirked at Naruto's comment.

"Then come, get dressed and meet me in the wood."

Naruto made his way to the spot in the wood Jiraiya had been teaching him for the last few days. It was a small circular clearing perfect for training. Even at night. The large canopy of leaves allowed just enough moonlight to illuminate the tiny sphere. There would be no need for him and Jiraiya to rely on artificial light tonight.

"Jiraiya" Naruto called out. He waited for a moment with no answer.

"Jiraiya. . ."

"Right here boy. Jeesh, you wanna wake everybody up?" Naruto spotted the tall man sitting up against one of the trees. Jiraiya rubbed his eyes and stretched before he pushed himself up to his full height.

"It's about time you got here boy. If you would have taken any longer not even bears would've woken me." Naruto clenched his teeth and glared at his sensei. Who did he think he was?

"Alright boy, it's time for you to start your training. Create the Resengan for me." Jiraiya leaned back up against the tree, his massive arms tucked across his chest.

Naruto took a deep breath in. I can do this. Ero-sennin is watching me. I have to do this now. Naruto began concentrating on his hand, just as he had done back at the spring. Come on. Flow in one direction. Come on.

"Ha ha ha." Naruto broke his concentration to see Jiraiya laying on the ground holding his sides.

"Are you constipated boy?" Jiraiya let out a few more humorous breaths.

Naruto's face burned and and he grit his teeth.

"What!" He yelled at the older man.

"What makes you think that you'll get a different result by doing the same thing over and over again? Hunh? You have to think outside of the box Naruto. If one way hasn't worked, try another."

"I don't understand, I'm trying to channel my chakra the way you told me." Naruto stared at his hand, confusion in his face.

"Look boy, all I'm saying is if one way hasn't worked for you try another. Like when you fought Neji at the Chuunin exams."

"How do you know about that?"

"Don't think I didn't read up on you before we left. The Hokage knows everything about you. Don't forget that boy. But...ah that's not the point. My point is you changed your game plan when it came to Neji. You changed your fighting style to fit the enemy."

"Yeah, well I had to win that fight, I had made a promise." The memory of him bending down and dipping his hand in Hinata's blood flashed through Naruto's mind.

"What's different?" Jiraiya try to read Naruto. "You made a promise to yourself? Or perhaps you need a different type of motivation." Jiraiya raised his eyebrows and gave Naruto a wide smile.

"I don't know, the need isn't the same." Naruto defended.

"I suggest you figure out what triggered that rare stroke of brilliance, or we'll be here for quite awhile." Jiraiya absently suggested as he settled into a tree with his arms above his head for a pillow.

Naruto went back to making the resengan with his chakra. I can't do it. Why. . .Why can't I do this. Maybe I'm not strong enough. Naruto let his mind wonder to the village. His first thought was of Sakura, the cute pink haired and green eyed kunochi he wanted to date, but was only his teammate. At least they were friends, if only she didn't hit so hard. Then his thoughts turned to Sasuke, his other teammate, the one he couldn't bring back. The one he wasn't strong enough or smart enough to save. Maybe Jiraiya was, right maybe he wasn't smart enough for this. His fight with Neji had been won out of sheer luck. Thinking back on it now it was impossible to believe he had thwarted such a rival. His mind flashed back to before the fight. He was almost ready to give up, sad, alone. Neji had almost killed his own cousin in the fight before, he was heartless and Naruto was afraid to face him. He remembered being at the training ground seriously thinking about giving up. . .then. . .then Hinata. She admired him because he never gave up and she had become stronger because of him. Those were the words she had said that day, that's why he faced an enemy he knew he couldn'd defeat. He couldn't give up now.

Naruto frantically began trying new ways to control his chakra. He tried hanging upside down, holding an object in his hand and distracting his mind. Jiraiya watched as Naruto jumped from one idea to another. After hours of trying and nothing sticking, Naruto collapsed against a tree in exhaustion, causing the tree to shake and a cascade of leaves to fall.

"Burnt out." Jiraiya asked behind closed eyelids.

"Exhausted" Naruto admitted.

"Ready to go back inside?" Jiraiya asked hopefully.

Naruto watched two leaves fall down together. Each one catching the air and circling aroudn the other. Naruto watched the two dance in unison down to the ground.

"Not yet" Naruto said as he pushed himself back up. "I have an idea."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes back into his head and lay there half-asleep while Naruto made a clone. Two blonde shinobi stood in the clearing with a determined expression. Both had there tongue sticking out of their mouth and their eyes were unwavering. A blue light began to build in the hand of the Naruto building the chakra, while the second Naruto began swashing the chakra in different directions, just like the spring.

"YES!" Naruto let out a yell.

"W-w-what?" Jiraiya was woken from his sleep. Slowly he opened his eyes to see the light blue light of the resengan resonating in Naruto's palm.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto lay down in the grass and looked up at the night sky, a smile painted on his face as he watched the twinkling stars above.

"Can you find any of the constellations boy?" Jiraiya was sitting underneath a tree, a flask in his hand.

Naruto struggled to make sense of the sparkling mess that lay out before him. Everything blended together until all he could feel was, not an empty vastness, but an incredible vastness, one full of life and the wisdom of unknown years. Suddenly, the memories he had made over the last three years flooded through his mind and a knot formed in his stomach at the prospect of going home. He had grown over the few years he had been gone from Konoha. Not only physically, but mentally as well. He was no longer the same foolish boy who had left, although, he still lingered inside him somewhere. How would people react when he finally came home? Would everything go back to the way it had been, or would people welcome and open their arms to him?

"I assume from your silence boy that you cannot." Jiraiya slurred.

Naruto was pulled back to realty from his revelry. He had forgotten what Jiraiya asked him before, so he just lay there in silence staring at the sky and listening to the pervy old sage.

"Do you see the two stars over there?" Jiraiya pointed up at the sky. Naruto followed Jiraiya's gaze and spotted two brilliant stars surrounded by three dimmer lights.

"They are said to be the most luminous stars in the sky. Combined with the three stars that surround them, they form the constellation known as Cassiopea. She had once been a mortal woman who was very beautiful, but she became so vain she angered the Gods and they punished her by hanging her upside down in the night sky for everyone to appreciate her beauty for all eternity. It is one of my favorite stories, and when I'm out on the road at night, whenever I feel lonely, I look for her eyes."

Naruto stared up at the two brightest stars as he thought about Jiraiya's story. Why would anyone like that story? And why would he look at the two stars when he was lonely? While Naruto gazed at the stars, he could see a face begin to form in his mind. Sakura, he thought. He could clearly see his cherry haired teammate up in the sky looking down on him, and he quickly felt how much he missed her. His hands began to sweat as he realized it would only be a matter of days before he would finally see her again. As he continued to stare at her image in the night sky, he couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. Almost as if the starry eyes looking down upon him weren't Sakura's at all.

Naruto shook his head and turned over in order to break the trance he had fallen in. There had been something he wanted to ask Jiraiya, something he had been wondering about since the first training session they had together.

"It's warm tonight." Naruto commented as he took he off his shirt.

"The weather is our friend tonight." Jiraiya absently responded to Naruto's statement.

Naruto lay back down and began tracing the mark on his stomach with his finger. He had to ask him now. He may never get another chance to ask again, but the huge man looked far too serene staring up at the night sky, lost in his own thoughts, for Naruto to interrupt him now. He felt a tug of guilt for even contemplating idea.

"What's the matter boy?" The man's gruff voice pierced the silence and startled Naruto once again.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Naruto responded stubbornly, more out of being shaken up than anything else.

"You circle the seal on your stomach with your hand. You've done it almost every night since we started training." Jiraiya replied, his attention still on the sky.

Naruto flushed a little, he'd noticed.

"Well, I-I was just wondering if there was any significance to the words on the seal? You know, light, dark, peace, war, relief."

Jiraiya broke his gaze and turned to Naruto.

"What do you mean?" He asked, as he raised one eyebrow.

"It just seems like they're connected somehow, like there is more to the words than just a sealing jutsu."

"You are very perceptive boy." Jiraiya grinned at his pupil. "The reason these words work as an effective jutsu is their meaning. Long ago, these were the words people lived by. These very words reminded them of life and what it meant to live. The circle represents the cycle and the order in which each word occurs. It will never be broken and will always repeat itself in the same way. The events won't be the same, but light, dark, peace, war and relief will."

Naruto listened intently to Jiraiya's words. He still didn't quite understand, Jiraiya wasn't telling him everything.

"So what do they mean?" Naruto pressed.

Jiraiya took in a deep breath he was still the same after all this time, too caught up in finding the answer to care about the history.

"It's a cycle Naruto, so it doesn't really have a beginning or an ending. I want you to understand that before I explain anything else, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand you want me to understand that it's a cycle before you move on." Naruto repeated.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

"Okay, it's a never ending cycle, but I have to start somewhere, so we'll start with light and dark. All this means is that a light is always found to lead you through the dark, or you will find a light before you enter the dark. Peace comes before war, or war follows peace, but after war there is always relief and in relief we find the light. Do you understand Naruto?" Jiraiya eyed his student.

"I think so, sort of." Naruto scrunched his nose in confusion.

"Don't worry if you don't. It's a very abstract concept, designed to show people's natures and the nature of their hearts, and you boy, have only experienced the dark. The rest will come in time. Whenever you encounter the darkness of your heart, or the bloodiness of war, the trick is to remember the light will scare the dark away and relief will always come in the end." Jiraiya adjusted his back against the trunk of the tree he was leaning against and turned his head back to the endless sea above them.

"Go to sleep Naruto. You will need your rest. We have a long way to go tomorrow if you want to reach Konoha in the next few days."

Naruto looked back up the sky where the two brightest lights of Cassiopea shone. He waited for the image of Sakura to return, but she never did. As Naruto thought about the picture of her earlier and attempted to figure out what had been wrong, he suddenly wondered if perhaps Jiraiya had someone he could see up in the sky. Perhaps he had someone he cared about too. Naruto felt the urge to ask, but decided against it. His last conscious thought was of Konoha and the two orbs in the sky.

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Kiba found Hinata sitting on her favorite bench in the middle of a sea of cherry blossoms. The pink foliage would normally have demanded attention, but instead faded to the backround when set against Hinata's creamy white skin and jet black hair. He knew he would find her here, the Hyuga garden was where she went to be alone. He watched her with Akamaru for a few moments, drinking in the scene, before he finally made his way over, taking a sit next to her on the stone bench.

Hinata smiled at her friend. He had come to visit her almost everyday for the past year and she had grown fond of him. She appreciated the friendship he had given her, especially over the last three years. He was the only one who knew just how hard they had been.

"Have you heard the news?" He asked without looking at Hinata.

"Heard what?"

Kiba turned his head so that Hinata could see his face now. She thought about how much her friend had changed. He no longer possessed the youthful look of a child. His face was different, harder more mature. Only his eyes matched the Kiba from their childhood. They still had the same softness the same tenderness about them, but that softness would dissipate in an instant in battle. Even Akamaru was bigger, he no longer was the small white ball riding around on Kiba's shoulder. Instead Kiba was the one doing the riding now.

Kiba took a deep breath in and shut his eyes.

"He's back Hinata. Naruto is back."

Hinata's world stopped as her breathing became heavier and her heart began to race.

"N-naruto is back? W-when."

Kiba leaned over, clasped his hands together and looked at the ground.

"He arrived back in the village today. I haven't seen him yet, but I thought you should know."

Hinata's hand automatically grabbed the spot over her heart and they sat in silence. Kiba staring at the ground and Hinata taking in the news. It was Kiba who finally broke the silence.

"Are you going to see him?"

"I-I don't know. I-I don't think I can. What would I say?"

Kiba looked up at his teammate for the first time since he told her the news. Kiba had always felt Hinata's feelings would fade with time, but as he looked at his teammate he could see the terror and excitement she felt at meeting Naruto for the second time. Everything she had done over the past three years had been for him, Kiba knew that, but still he thought. . .it didn't matter what he thought. Kiba petted Akamaru and scratched his ear.

"Maybe you could start with hi." He suggested distractedly.

Hinata gave Kiba a warm smile.

"I guess your right, that's what a friend would say." She gently placed her hand on Kiba's arm.

"Yeah," Kiba responded, "that's what a friend would say." Still he couldn't help closing his eyes at her touch.

While Kiba lost himself in the moment, he suddenly remembered that he had something else to tell Hinata.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot because of the Naruto news, but there has been more Sasuke sightings." Kiba said gruffly.

Hinata snapped back to realty and gave Kiba an inquiring look.

"There have? By who?"

"It seems that the sightings have increased within this last month. There are too many to count now."

"That's odd." Hinata noted. "I wonder why they have increased from one every month to so many? Nobody has caught him?" She pressed.

"No, the sighting have all happened like before, just like when Neji saw him with you. The people are always too injured to go after Sasuke, or they're in some other precarious position."

"I wonder what he wants?" Hinata bit her lip in thought.

"I don't know, your guess is as good as mine." Kiba shrugged. "Hey, do want to train a little today?" Kiba knew what her answer would be, but he hoped it would be different anyway.

"Not today Kiba. I think I need some time to myself." Hinata gave him a sympathetic look.

"That's alright, I understand." Kiba's heart lifted a little. Even though it wasn't the answer he wanted, it was better than the one he expected. He stood from the bench and gave Akamaru a nudge. He resisted at first, snuggling closer to Hinata's legs, but Kiba gave him a stern look. Akamaru reluctantly rolled out of his reclining position and followed Kiba out of the garden. Before they completely disappeared from sight, Kiba turned a gave Hinata a small wave. Then they were gone.

Hinata sat in the garden awhile longer, contemplating everything that had just transpired. She decided that she wasn't ready to see Naruto, not just yet, she wasn't strong enough. At that thought she hastily left the great Hyuga garden and made her way to Team 8's training ground. Hinata felt that's where she would find the answers she desperately needed.


	5. Chapter 5

_Naruto's here…in the village. What am I going to do? What should I say? I am not ready for this. I'm not…I'm not strong enough. _

Hinata sat under her favorite tree in the middle of the lush green training ground. Her body was slumped over and her hands were wrapped around her knees. She was torn about what to do. The initial excitement that flowed through her at the thought of seeing Naruto again had subsided and was replaced by the twelve year old girl who could only stand behind the light pole to say goodbye.

_What if he doesn't even remember me? The only conversation I've ever really had with him was at the training ground before his match with Neji and even then all I wanted to do was hide behind the wooden training log. Still, I spoke to him and he said he liked people like me. Maybe...maybe he will remember...maybe he won't have forgotten me...or...maybe...maybe he was just being nice._

She felt her two halves fighting for dominance. The one half was overwhelmed with Naruto's homecoming and wanted to run out and find him with no regard for how he may react. The other half, the one that won out most of the time told her to stay, he wouldn't even notice she was there and she would just be in the way of the rest of the people who wanted to greet him.

_I've tried so many times before...I've tried to be near him...to speak to him...to be close to him...but whenever I'm around him I-I just hide. I don't want to be that girl anymore, the girl who can't do anything more than watch. I've tried so hard to change, to make myself stronger, just for this moment, so I would be able to do what I've tried so hard to so many times before, but it's as though nothing has changed. I'm still the same girl, the one who is too weak to be noticed or try to be noticed. _

Hinata felt a familiar warmth in her lavendar eyes and before long wet spots began appearing on her clothes. As she tucked her head tighter into her arms, she felt a comforting weight. Instinictively her hand went toward her chest, but this time she didn't just let her hand linger above it on the outside of her clothes. She needed to see him, to be with him even if it was only an illusion in her mind. Carefully she pulled the long chain out from under her purple sweater. More and more of the chain began to appear and then Hinata felt the end catch on the inside of her collar. She gave the chain an extra tug and felt the hotness of the locket as it fell into her palm. Before she did anything else, she meticulously examined every inch of the silver necklace and felt a slight pain tug at her heart. Confused, but determined, Hinata brushed aside the new feeling that had ebbed it's way in and swiftly opened the heart in her hand. There they were. The familiar bright blue eyes Hinata had studied so many times, along with the childish grin and crazy blonde hair.

_Naruto. What should I do? My feelings have become more intense with time, and I don't even know you anymore. All I really know is this face, these eyes, his boyish smile. None of it will be the same now, he'll be different...changed. _

Hinata stared at the boy whose will to succeed no matter how many times life put him down had inspired her to stand up for herself, even when all odds were against her. Would he still have that sunny, defiant attitude? Would he still possess the characteristics of the boy? Or would time altar his roundish cheeks into the hard mature lines that had taken over Kiba's? Hinata shifted her gaze to the trees Naruto had come through to take her away in her daydream. She vividly remembered the older version in her mind walking toward and kneeling next to her on the ground. This time, he did not have the same anxious air, instead, he calmly brushed a strand of her hair back and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Hinata allowed herself to relax back into the tree. Slowly, she brought her face up to his and closed her eyes...crack. Hinata jumped up. Her thoughts quickly disgarded. Someone was coming. Quickly back flipped into the tree and allowed the canopy of leaves to cover her. Tentatively she peaked through the tangled branches and leaves to see who it was. She was sure no one would come here, not today. Everybody would be to busy rejoicing in Naruto's and Jiraiya's return.

Hinata could hear the faint footsteps of someone coming closer. Gradually they became louder and louder. She peered at the bushes the person would emerge from. Impatiently waiting to discover who had interrupted her thoughts. Kiba was the only person who knew where she was, but he wouldn't? Would he? Even after she had told him to leave her alone for awhile? He was probably worried about her. He normally was these days. Suddenly a shadow appeared and from the look of it, the person approaching was a man, but it wasn't Kiba. Then a bright orange leg popped through the bushes followed by a black and orange top. The man walked to the middle of the training ground, yawned, stretched and began to go through a serious of training exercises. He began by running around the wooden targets, flipping in the air and throwing a handful of Kunai knives, each one hitting dead center. Next he performed a serious of push-ups before running in a zigzag pattern, and throwing Kunai every now and again.

Hinata watched with bated breath as the man practiced his taijutsu. She was surprised to see just how good he was. He wasn't the best, but he had definitely come a long way since his school days. She continued to watch as the boy cloned himself hundreds of times and observed as each clone strategically hit a mark. Some hid in the ground, others hid in trees, while some were used as a diversion. Hinata could see the heat rising in the man's face as his training progressed and soon he was fumbling with the zipper of his sweater and discarding his undershirt. Hinata felt her cheeks burn as she stared in awe at the half-naked man in front of her. His body had a masculine appearance. It was long, lean and chiseled. She could see a distinct black circular mark on his bare abs and the way the muscles rippled underneath it. She wanted to take her eyes away, but she couldn't. She was mesmerized by the way his body moved and the intensity of his concentration as he formed a blue swirling mass in his hand. Hinata gasped, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

_I hope he didn't her me. Please don't hear me._

The man paused as his head perked up. Hinata quickly stuck her charm back inside her sweater and tried to be as statuesque as possible. She watched as the guy below began to focus on the whirling sphere in hand. Gently Hinata relaxed and she allowed herself to fall backward into the tree trunk, but she didn't hit the trunk. Instantly her stomach dropped as she turned her head to see what she had hit.

"Naruto!" She cried in horror at the sight of him crouched down beside her. His bare chest inches away from her. Hinata felt her head begin to spin as her body went limp and she fell from the tree.

The real Naruto turned around at the noise in time to see the body of a young woman careening to the ground. In one swift leap he was under her and he gently set her down against the bark of the tree. The clone followed right after the girl, and after fetching Naruto's shirt disappeared in a puff. Naruto made himself comfortable across from her and began playing with the green blades of grass. He hadn't gotten a good look of the girl's face as she fell from the tree and he wondered why anyone would be hiding up there. She didn't look like anyone he knew. Her hair was dark, so she couldn't be Sakura or Ino and it fell down to her waist. Ten Ten was the only girl he could think of with black hair, but she always wore hers in two buns. Naruto studied the young woman's face. The ebony of her hair set off the light sultry undertones of her skin and her features were soft. He allowed his eyes to methodically wander over the woman's clothing. Her sweater was at least one size too big and he could see her petite frame as the hanging fabric gently pressed against her body. She definitely didn't have the appearance of a ninja. As his eyes continued along their path he spotted the small pack every ninja in the village wore. The pack held their kunai's and other weapons. Hunh, she must be a ninja, then where is her band? Almost like magic his eyes fell upon the Konoha symbol tied around her neck.

Almost as if she could feel his studious eyes upon her, Hinata began to move. Naruto watched as the girl in front of him began to flutter her eyes as she regained consciousness. A pounding began in his ears, but he was to curious to pay heed to it. As the girl's eyelids opened to reveal the light lavendar orbs behind them, Nauto's eyes widened in surprise. What had happened to the short haired little girl he had left behind three years ago? Naruto began to wonder what three years had done Sakura.

"N-naruto" a soft voice floated to his ears.

He smiled his wide smile and grabbed the back of his neck with his hands.

"Hey Hinata, I didn't think anyone would be here, I'm sorry if I scared you. What were you doing up in that tree?"

Hinata flushed and she felt the familiar urge to hide her face, but it was overridden by her overwhelming desire to look at Naruto. His brilliant blue eyes were looking down on her and she could still make out remenents of the boy in his smile. His hair was more wild and unkempt than it had been and two strands on either side fell over his head band. She was shocked and amazed at how much and how little he had changed. There was no mistaking the new found maturity in his strong jawline and cheekbones, but his boyish charm shone through with every smile and glance of his eyes.

"I-I had come out here to be alone." She quietly answered.

"Oh, is everything okay?" Naruto crinkled his face in concern.

"Yes, thank you, I just needed to some time for myself, that's all. There has been much excitement today and I needed to breath for a moment." Hinata began fidgeting her fingers. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by Naruto. He felt the unfamiliar pull of belonging as he watched the endearing habit of Hinata's and for the first time since he had been back, he finally felt like he was home.

"W-what about you Naruto? Why are you out here training by yourself? Didn't you just come back from three years of training?"

Naruto absently rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, well I...I...was nervous about coming back home. I wasn't sure if things would be the same...if I would be missed." He mumbled as he looked at the ground.

Hinata smiled.

"No one is the same Naruto. Not even you, but that doesn't mean you aren't missed." Hinata quickly glanced down as she finished the last part. "Besides, Sakura is your teammate and your teammates know you better than anyone else. They have you're back when we you're there and they miss you when you're gone, and you Naruto, have been gone for a long time."

Sakura. The person Naruto was most anxious about seeing again. Did Hinata know that he had come out here to build up his nerve to see her, or was it just a coincidence that she brought up her name. She was his teammate after all and Hinata was right, he did need to go find her. By now she would know that he was back in Konoha and if her temper was anything like he remembered, she would be indescribably miffed if he did not find her to let her know he was back. He cringed at the thought of it.

"You're right Hinata. I shouldn't be out here avoiding my friends, I should be with them, celebrating my return." Naruto stood and helped Hinata off the ground. He hesitated before leaving. He felt awkward leaving her behind after she had been so sweet to him again, but he wanted to go and find Sakura before the day got too late.

"Hey Hinata, thanks for helping me out, that makes two times now. I think that makes us friends."

Friends. He thinks we're friends. Hinata's heart began to swell and she gave him a half-smile.

"We should hang out sometime, you know, and do friend things." He suggested.

"L-like w-what." Hinata stammered.

"I don't know, what do you do with your friends?" Naruto realized the only things he ever did with his friends were eat ramen and train.

"Well, Kiba and I go skating at the roller-rink sometimes." Naruto freaked out at the thought of him on four wheels. He had never been roller skating before and he wasn't sure that he was ready to learn. Hinata quickly picked up on the look in his eyes and came up with a different idea.

"Sometimes Kiba comes over and we hang out in my garden. It's not much, but we go for walks, look at the flowers and talk."

"Okay, how about that." Naruto latched onto the idea, figuring it would be non-threatening in anyway.

Hinata's heart raced. "O-okay, when?"

"How about tomorrow, I'll come by around lunch with ramen."

"O-okay."

"Well I'll see ya tomorrow." Naruto waved and began to walk away.

"O-okay." Hinata repeated.

Hinata turned around in a daze. It wasn't exactly the way she had planned on seeing Naruto again and she hadn't exactly told him what she wanted to, but still he thought they were friends. Hinata began to saunter back home, caught up in her reverie, when she noticed a large orange object next to the tree she had previously fallen from. She walked over to it and picked it up. Naruto's sweater, he must have forgotten about it. I'll take it home and give it back to him tomorrow. Hinata pulled the bright fabric tightly into her chest and inhaled the intoxicating scent waffing up from it. Happily she made her way home, her head full of what the following day may bring.

Now to find Sakura. Naruto hurried back to the village his confidence had been lifted from his conversation with Hinata and he felt elated. He also felt a little ridiculous for being so unsure of himself earlier. There was one thing that still made him a little uneasy, but he felt that Hinata's advice adhered to that as well. Swiftly Naruto made his way through the familiar streets of Konoha. One, two, three. He counted the streets, reliving his younger days when he used to go to her house. The houses looked the same now as they did then. As Naruto began to near his destination, he remembered the flower shop stood two corners down from her. He began looking for it long before he should, but he didn't want to miss it. As he passed by the old ramen shop he frequented often before he left, he saw the familiar floral arrangements that decorated the outside of Ino's family shop. Hopefully the blond kunoichi would not be working today. He didn't feel like answering any of her questions. He made his way inside and immediately disoriented. There were so many, how did anyone ever choose. He made his way around the store, picking up one flower than another. Sniffing one rose, then comparing it to another. There has to be something here. Naruto was exasperated from his efforts and almost walked out the door in retreat when he stopped. There it was, tucked away in a corner. I'll take it.

After purchasing the damned potted plant that had taken more time to choose than he had previously anticipated, Naruto sprinted out the door and down the street. He didn't stop until he reached the door he wanted. Before knocking Naruto straightened his black shirt, checked his breath and hid the present behind his back. Then he cleared his throat and knocked three times. He could see a shadowy figure moving pass the candle in the window and his palms began to sweat as he waited for her to come to the door. He didn't have to stand there long before he heard the creaking of the hinges. Suddenly he found himself staring in the same green eyes that had filled his dreams.

"N-naruto." She whispered as she stared back at him.

She was taller, and her cherry hair was still short. Her face had matured into a woman's and she had an athletic build. She did not possess a delicate beauty, but she was cute. Her confidence and easy smile made her radiant in the dusk light.

"Sakura." He replied. "I-I brought you this." Naruto clumsily held out the gift he had picked out for her.

"A cherry tree! Thank you." She beamed at the plant in her hand.

Naruto studied the way the cherry blossoms matched her hair. He was excited she liked his gift.

"Whenever I see a grove of cherry trees I think of you, so I thought I would give you one."

"That's sweet of you Naruto, would you like to come in? We have so much catching up to do." Sakura opened her door wider and pointed the way inside with the pot.

"Not tonight Sakura, I only came by t-to ask you to come out with me tomorrow night. I want you to go on a date with me." Naruto braced himself for the punch he knew would follow his request.

"I'd like that." Sakura replied.

"You'll what?"

"I'll go." She repeated.

"Okay then, I pick you up here at about sevenish." He told her excitedly.

"Seven." She repeated and gave him a small smile as she looked at him from under her eyelashes and shut the door.

Yes, I've got a date with Sakura. Naruto stuck his hands in his pocket and made his way down the street, toward his apartment. Night was beginning to overtake the dimming light and the Naruto could see the stars up in the sky. He had grown accustomed to star gazing during the long nights he had spent with Jiraiya and instinctively his eyes sought out the two eyes of Cassiopea. Naruto remembered the night he first looked up those sparkling orbs and the image of Sakura that had appeared, but soon afterward she had vanished and he could never bring the image back to his mind again, but why? Naruto's eye caught a quick movement to his left and he swiftly shifted his view from the stars to the streets. A dark figure with longer black hair and a red and white symbol on his back slipped around the corner.

It can't be, but who else could it be. Naruto ran down the street and into the open space the figure had gone. Naruto looked one direction, then another, making a frantic circle in the dirt, but no one was there. I swear that was him, but where did he go. He stood in the same spot for a few minutes before deciding to finish making his way home. He knew he had seen him, but why was he here. Naruto couldn't push the image from his mind, and that night, as he lay in bed asleep, he dreamed of his old friend. He was trapped in a cave, a fiery beast was upon him, while Sakura's lifeless body lay next to him on the floor.

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If you like this story, please visit my webpage at .com/cerebralfantasies and view my story Gypsy. I have just finished the first chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on Hinata concentrate. Focus your chakra all over your body and release it simultaneously." Neji eyed his cousin with his arms crossed. He wasn't hopeful. They had been working on tapping into her massive chakra reserve for two years now and she could still only produce the chakra through her hands and feet. Neji noted that it was nothing to bat an eye at, even he had to admit that the amount of chakra his cousin could produce was impressive, but still he had hoped she would be farther along than this. Many times she had completely blacked out after using one jutsu with her chakra and others she could go for half and hour before draining herself completely. Still, he could not reproduce the response he had received during the first day he discovered this hidden well inside her. Her chakra levels had been completely normal that day, the same as it had always been. Then a massive flow appeared from nowhere. He watched as the mass of power flowed toward the hundreds of release points on his cousin's body, but she was not strong enough to control the sudden surge of chakra within her. All she could manage was the pathetic stream that shot out of her hands. Before she completely passed out that day, Neji witnessed the chakra back track and dissipate back toward her heart. After that, he didn't want to train her. He had been…he was…afraid. Afraid that his cousin wouldn't be able to handle this power, afraid she would injure herself…he was afraid she wouldn't survive. He had advised Hiashi of his concern and he just brushed them off. He wanted Hinata to learn how to control her power no matter what it took, he believed in her.

Neji observed his cousin, she was struggling to call on and use the hidden chakra within her. He watched as the familiar surge cascaded down her chakra channels searching for release points and finding none. Hinata's lifeless face flashed through Neji's mind as the chakra began to double back toward it's source and a single wet bead formed on his brow.

"That's enough for today." He calmly instructed his cousin, his stoic face betraying nothing.

Hinata doubled over in exhaustion, her breathing shallow and heavy.

"I-I'm sorry Neji, I have failed again." Hinata kept her eyes to the ground as the shame of two years of training took hold of her.

Neji looked down on his cousin. "When you are finished resting we will continue working on twins lion fist."

Hinata nodded her head in acknowledgment. She was still winded from her previous efforts. They stood there in silence as the breeze kicked up the dust lining the Hyuga training ground and Hinata slowly regained her strength. I must do this. He is watching me, judging me. I am not weak, I'm strong. Hinata straightened herself and placed her hands at the ready. Her face hard and determined.

"I am ready now."

Neji coldly eyed his cousin, then prepared himself to fight, he knew she was still weakened by her earlier attempt at chakra control and the match wouldn't last long. He was still fresh and even if he wasn't he was still the superior taijutsu user.

Neji faked with a high left jab and followed quickly with a roundhouse kick into Hinata's ribs. Hinata stumbled backward and gasped for air.

"You should have easily blocked that attack Hinata, or are you so weak you cannot remember the training that should be second nature to you now? Just because you are learning a new technique is no excuse for forgetting another."

Hinata's heart doubled back on itself, desperately trying to retreat from the condescending gaze of her cousin. She could see the failure she was in his ghostly eyes. Why did she try so hard to fight it? Neji backed off and resumed his fighting stance, waiting for Hinata to come at him. No, he wants me to fight him. I can do this. I can beat him. For Naruto.

Hinata defiantly raised her hands and, without a word, forced as much chakra as she could to them, forming two giant chakra clouds shaped like lions. She moved her hands quickly, in and out, back and forth. Her movements were so fast Neji could not read them as she charged forward and swung with her right at Neji's face. A sharp pain pierced her arm as Neji deflected her attack. Then she swiftly came around with the other arm and caught him in the stomach. The force of the blow threw Neji back and he collided with the stone wall before sliding down and collapsing in a heap.

"Neji!" Hinata ran over to her cousin and lifted his head. "Are you okay?"

Neji opened his eyes and looked up at his cousin. Immediately he shoved her away and climbed to his feet.

"I am fine, it is nothing I can't handle." He said refusing to meet her eyes as he brushed himself off.

"That was amazing!" A voice came from the far side of the ring.

Hinata turned to see Naruto leaning against a wooden pillar next to the house.

"W-what are you doing here?" Hinata stammered, her eyes wide with horror.

"I was suppose to meet you here at noon remember? Or have you forgotten?" Naruto grinned.

"O-oh yeah, right I remember, I didn't realize..." Hinata looked at Neji.

"You may go. You've trained enough for one day. Meet me back here tomorrow morning." Neji instructed Hinata before making his way into the house.

Hinata turned back toward Naruto. "I-I'm sorry Naruto, I must have lost track of the time. My sessions with Neji have become longer and more intense as of late and I have been losing track of the time more and more. I would still like to hang out. I just need a moment to get ready."

"Sure Hinata, I don't mind, besides I forgot the ramen." Naruto turned out his pockets and showed her his empty hands.

Hinata giggled. "That's fine, I'm not that hungry right now anyway. Umm, why don't you wait for me inside. I still need to get ready to go."

Naruto followed Hinata into the uninviting rooms of the Hyuga household. She lead him through a long dark narrow hallway that opened up into a large living room decorated in cherry wood furniture. The room was very majestic with it's high ceilings and Naruto felt the wealth and power of the Hyuga clan.

"I will come back for you here Naruto. Please make yourself comfortable." Hinata left Naruto alone inside the overbearing room wondering how he could possibly ever feel comfortable in a place like this.

Hinata ran through the shower as fast as she could. Afterward, she frantically searched her closet for something to wear. She couldn't just go out in her ninja clothes, she had to wear something cute, something that would catch his attention, but all of her clothes were so dark. She had practically thrown her entire closet onto her wood floors when something caught her eye. She pulled the remaining clothes toward the middle of the rack so she could see what it was. Behind all of her dark threads hung a cute baby pink summer dress. Of course, how did I forget I owned that. Hinata remembered the day she bought the dress. She had been with Kiba just hanging out when they passed by a shop and the dress was hanging in the window. She had paused to admire it when Kiba asked her if she wanted to go and try it on. She had protested at first, but he reminded her that all of the clothes she owned were either for training or missions, and besides, he added, that color would look good against your hair. Hinata had given him a shy smile and her cheeks had turned a rosy pink. She could tell he wasn't going to give up until she tried on the dress, so she caved in to him, and herself. When she finally had the dress on, she loved it so much she didn't want to take it off. Not only had Kiba been right about the color making her hair pop, but she loved the way the dress loosely hugged her curves and wisped out at the bottom. She had never worn it because she had never had a reason to before today. Hinata pulled the pink dress over her head and smoothed out the wrinkles. Then she grabbed a pair of strappy sandals and checked her hair in the mirror. As Hinata looked at the full affect of the ensemble, she couldn't help feel the strange tug at her heart again. Gently she cupped the locket in her hand and closed her eyes. "Please, not right now." She whispered. Then she pushed the feeling away and let the heart fall back onto her chest as she made her way down the hall.

Hinata stood outside the door leading to the room she knew Naruto was patiently waiting in. Her heart pounded in her ears and her stomach dropped as she stood frozen in place. _What if he thinks I'm trying too hard? Maybe I shouldn't have worn this dress? What if he thinks I think we're on a date? What if he thinks we're on a date? What if he doesn't like what I'm wearing? Maybe I should go and change and wear what I always wear, but he's never noticed me in what I always wear. Besides, it's hot outside and we are hanging out like friends. He said we are friends. I'm just a friend in a dress. A friend in a dress._ Hinata took a deep breath and opened the door.

"I'm ready to hang out Naruto." Hinata smiled as she shyly played with her dress.

"Good, I can't wait to get out of here. I'm sorry Hinata, but this place isn't friendly." Naruto announced he got up and walked passed Hinata, making his way down the hall. "Come one Hinata, instead of hanging out in the garden, I thought you could help me with some stuff in town."

Hinata watched as Naruto continued down the hall. _H-he d-didn't even notice. He didn't even notice me. He just walked right on by, like-like nothing was different, like I'm the same Hinata. So why'd I spend so much time worrying about this dress?_ Hinata shook her head and made her way after Naruto.

"So what did you want to do Naruto?" She asked when she finally caught back up with him outside.

"Well, I thought you could help me. I have a date with Sakura tonight, and I don't know what to do, or wear, or anything." Naruto bit his lip and looked around nervously.

"Oh, I-I see." Hinata began playing with her fingers.

"I understand if you don't want to help. I just thought, since we are friends and all and you're a girl, you could help me."

"N-no, it's fine, I-I just wasn't expecting...I just wasn't prepared to set up a date." Hinata forced herself to look up into his innocent blue eyes. Her stomach lurched and her eyes begin to sting, but she fought back the tears. This wasn't the time, he doesn't know, how could he know. We are friends. Still, she wanted to lock herself up in her room and hide away from his sunny smile and unkempt hair. His nervous optimism was far from the painful emptiness that accompanied unknowing rejection. Hinata forced a smile to her face and lead the way into town. "We'll start with you're clothing first."

Hinata and Naruto went from one shop to another, picking out different outfits for Naruto try on. Hinata was exhausted by the time Naruto decided on a pair of stonewashed jeans with a white button-up long sleeved shirt. Hinata liked the way it looked with one side left untucked, but Naruto insisted on tucking both sides. He wanted to impress Sakura. Hinata just sighed and let him do as he pleased. She had really liked the first outfist he had tried on. It was a pair of baggy blue jeans and a bright orange tee shirt. It reminded Hinata of Naruto and looked less hot then the orange sweatsuit he always ran around in, but he rejected the outfit telling Hinata he needed to impress Sakura. Hinata had just shrugged and put the ensemble back. The day continued to follow the same theme. Everything was about impressing Sakura.

"I'm hungry, what about you?" Naruto asked as he finished purchasing his new outfit.

"Yes, I am too."

"Let's got to Ichiraku's since I promised you ramen earlier but forgot. It'll be my treat." Naruto grinned as he held the door open for Hinata.

"That sounds fine." Hinata said shyly. As they made their way to Naruto's favorite ramen shop, Hinata couldn't help feeling happier than she had at the beginning of their trip. She had fun shopping with Naruto, even it was for another girl, and she enjoyed the faces and comments he made about every outfit he had to try on. At one point he told her he would just go on the date in his underwear and he would have to tell Sakura he couldn't find anything suitable to wear. Then he laughed as he told Hinata that if he ever did that, Sakura would pound him as hard as she could and it would take him weeks to recover.

When they arrived at the Irchiraku's Hinata took the stool next to Naruto and happily allowed him to order for her. After he was done, he turned to her.

"So...where do you think I should take her tonight?"

"Why don't you bring her here?" Hinata asked, pleased with the idea. It was his favorite place and there would be more meaning to they're first date by having it there.

"No, I can bring her here anytime, I want to take her somewhere that will take her breath away." Naruto's eyes lit up as he said the last few words and Hinata knew of only one place that would please him.

"Well, there is one restaurant in Konoha that can do that." Her voice was quiet. "It lays on the outskirts of town next to the lake. It's surrounded by giant trees that light up the water at night. It's very romantic. There is even a place to eat outside, but it's very expensive."

"What's it called?" Naruto was practically leaning off of his stool.

"The Lakehouse."

"The Lakehouse." Naruto repeated. Then Ayame, the brown haired daughter of Ichiruka's came with their food. She promptly set down there bowls and disappeared into the back. Naruto looked down at his steaming bowls and ravenously began devouring them.

After he had finished his third bowl, he stopped to take a small breather before he started on the next three. He turned to say something to Hinata, but forgot what it was as he watched her delicately scoop up some ramen and gently blow on it. Then she carefully brought it to her small, but full lips and sucked the liquid and the noodles lightly off the spoon. His eyes began to wander from her lips, down the front of her exposed neck, to her delicate arms and her bare chest. The pink dress she was wearing was very revealing for Hinata. Naruto had to admit that if it had been any other girl, he probably wouldn't have given her a second look, but....

"Hinata." Naruto said softly as he stared intently at his soup.

Hinata put her spoon down and tilted her head toward Naruto. He could see her celestial lavendar eyes staring at him intently. Curiosity lining her marble face.

"Yes?" She said softly.

Naruto forced himself to face her.

"I-I. I was just wondering..." Dammit. Why was this so hard. It was a simple question, why couldn't he ask her. She was the same Hinata afterall. She hadn't changed. She was still the weird dark haired girl from the training ground. Naruto tried again. "I was wondering...how did you do that cool jutsu you hit Neji with?" He flashed a toothy grin at her. _Nice job Naruto._

"Oh, is that what you want to know? Well, it's nothing really. I have a hidden Chakra reserve that I tap into and I focus it all to my hands. Neji's the one that discovered it about three years ago now. He was training with me and then I felt a surge charge through my body and a few sparks escaped from my hands. After that, Neji has been training me to call on my reserve and to release it. The best I can do so far is the twin lions fist you saw. I know it's not much for the two and half years of training I've put in, but one day Neji hopes I will be able to control the extra chakra and release it in multiple places from my body, but I'm too weak for that now." Hinata lowered her head in shame and stared into her ramen.

"Who told you that?" Naruto felt anger and an urge to protect Hinata, from what he didn't know, but he didn't care. "You're not weak. Did you see the way Neji collapsed after you caught him with your lion fist? I think you're strong enough to call upon and release your extra chakra now. I think you're just scared."

Hinata shook her head adamantly.

"No, Naruto. I am too weak to handle the amount chakra my body creates. The first day I summoned it, I passed out and was unconscious for weeks. Even now, I will black out from exhaustion, although it's not as bad."

Naruto, stared at Hinata and imagined her delicate face lifeless on the ground. He envisioned her black hair encompassing her as her limbs lay still and Neji standing over her with a sneer dancing on his lips. Suddenly, it wasn't Hinata he was looking at anymore and he was back in the empty depth of the cave. Neji was gone and the bright light of the flames were blinding.

"Hinata you are stronger than you believe." He said as the images in the cave overtook his mind. Hinata shyly looked away. "Hinata, there is something else I must ask you. Have you heard anything about Sasuke?"

Hinata's eyes went big at the sound of his name and she lifted her head to face Naruto again.

"I-I think I saw him last night, in the village," Naruto explained, "when I was walking home from Sakura's. I ran out into the street after him, but by the time I got there, he was gone."

Hinata took the time to process this new information before responding.

"The first sighting of Sasuke was almost three years ago. Neji saw him that day after I had passed out from training. He couldn't go after him because I had been in the way, he needed to get me help and I couldn't be left alone. By the time Neji went back to search for him, he was gone. Over the years many people have reportedly seen Sasuke. Normally, it happens once a month, but lately, he has appeared more frequently."

"Have you seen him, Hinata?" Naruto's gaze was intense and Hinata looked away.

"No, I have not. As far as I know neither have Kiba or Shino."

Naruto bit his lower lip in thought and Hinata knew what he was thinking.

"No, Naruto, I don't believe Sakura has either."

"So why hasn't anyone caught him yet." He inquired.

"Most of the people he has appeared in front of are in some precarious position. Not too long ago, a pair of ninja spotted him on their return home from a mission, but both were too injured to follow him. He doesn't appear often, and never at the same time or place."

"So then why did he appear to me. I wasn't injured or involved with anything else. In fact, I should have been able to follow him before he got away, but it was as though he just disappeared on me."

"Did you notice anything strange about the encounter?" Hinata pushed.

"No, just that he vanished like he was never there."

"What about the way he looked? The time of day? The landscape?"

"No, no and no." Naruto listed. "He looked like the same Sasuke and the streets looked normal."

Hinata stared up at the sky and gave a little frown.

"We should be heading back, you need to prepare for your date tonight."

"Wow, it's that late already." Naruto chimed in as he rubbed his head. Hinata smiled to herself as she noted his nervous habit. "Well, I guess I'll walk you back home."

As they made their way out of the ramen shop Hinata heard a familiar panting and felt a furry head nuzzle up to her leg.

"Hello Akamaru." She bent down and let him lick her chick as she patted his back.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything." A hard voice said. "I was just taking Akamaru out for a walk."

"Oh, I was just going to walk Hinata home." Naruto said smiling.

"Yeah, he has to go home and get ready for his date." Hinata frantically added.

"Oh, is that so?" Kiba eyed Naruto questioningly, but refrained from being too nosey, besides he could find out anything he wanted to know from Hinata.

"How about I walk her home. Akamaru has missed her lately." Kiba said in time for his companion to eagerly brush up against Hinata and knock her down. Laughing, Hinata picked herself up and brushed the dirt off of her dress. Kiba's felt a twinge as he noted the pink fabric of the dress Hinata was wearing.

"Thanks Kiba, that would great." Naruto turned to Hinata. "Thanks for all your help today, we should hang out again soon. You're a great friend." Then he patted her arm and took off down the street. All the while wondering if Sakura knew about him.

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If you like this story please check out my story Gypsy at .com/cerebralfantasies thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto finished buttoning up his white long-sleeved shirt and glanced at his reflection. Not too bad he thought. He had put gel in his hair in order to tame his unruly blond locks and he discarded his Konoha headband. The stone-washed blue jeans he wore were complimented nicely by the leather belt Hinata had made him purchase and matched the shoes he was wearing. Pleased with the overall look, Naruto picked up his wallet and whistled as he made his way out the door.

The sky was glowing pink and yellow as he made his way down the normally busy streets of Konoha. Everything was going to plan so far. He had called and made reservations at the Lakehouse when he had returned home and the ensemble he wore gave him a more polished look, a more adult look. His spirits were high and the anticipation of the date to come swelled inside him, it was almost too much to bear. His mind was filled with images of him and Sakura and how they would act on the date. He imagined her blushing and being impressed with everything he did, while he would admire her beauty and hold her close to him as they stared out at the lake. His imagination grew with every step he took, while his smile grew wider and wider.

When Naruto finally turned down the street leading to Sakura's door, he felt a cold breeze that sent tingles up his spine. He froze for a moment and examined the area. Naruto felt his intuition roaring. This was the same feeling he had that night. Naruto eyed the darkening street wearily. "Is someone there?" He shouted. "Show yourself." There was no answer, just the empty narrow street, but he couldn't shake the knowing feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. He's here.

Naruto finished making his way to Sakura's house and knocked on the door. The ominous feeling did not leave, but mingled with the newer ones making their way in. He lightly wiped his hands on his pants and took in long, deep breaths to slow down his heart. It was a strange sensation, being completely overwhelmed by hope and nerves, while simultaneously being alert and on guard. Naruto continued to wait patiently at the door, stuck in his dual state. It seemed like he had been there forever, when the door suddenly swung open.

"I thought you said seven!" An irritated voice shouted at him from the other side of the threshold. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"I-I" Naruto began rubbing the back of his neck intensely.

"It's already seven thirty!" Naruto moved as he saw an all too familiar fist swing back to strike him.

"Dattebayo!" Was the only thing he managed before being pelted across the face. This was definitely not shaping out the way he thought it would.

"Are we going to go on a date or not?" Sakura demanded through a pair of puffed up lips.

"You hit me because I'm late, and you still want to go on a date?" Naruto shouted.

"It's rude to keep one's date waiting." Sakura said with an arrogant turn of her head as she crossed her arms. "So what did you have planned?" She demanded.

Naruto rubbed his face where Sakura had hit him and tried to calm himself down. _It's alright, she still wants to go on a date with you_. _This is what you want, you want her to like you. Impress her with your manners._

Naruto gritted his teeth and politely offered his hand to his date. Sakura hesitated, a look of confusion on her face. Then she slowly placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her out the door and through the streets.

"I thought, we could begin with a walk, you know so we could talk a little, then I thought we could go to dinner." Naruto answered her question after he had cooled off a little. It didn't matter that the date didn't start off well, it just mattered what happened during the date.

"Where are we going for dinner?" Sakura batted her eyelids and gave him a demure smile.

Naruto felt a warm feeling rise from his stomach and wash away all the doubt that still lingered from before.

"I can't tell you that," he said with an eye-closing smile, "it's a surprise."

Naruto felt her give his hand a small squeeze and he looked down surprised to see they were still holding hands. His stomach fluttered as the idea of people seeing them walking hand in hand together like a real couple passed through his mind. _Yep, it's going to be a good night._

He decided to start their date by taking a walk through the park. Their they watched the light finish fading into darkness and the moon rise into the sky. It was then that Naruto noticed how sexy Sakura looked that night. She was wearing a dark pink backless dress that stopped at mid-thigh and snugly hugged every curve. Between her hair and her dress, Sakura's eyes really popped and it reminded Naruto of the constellation Jiraiya had told him about. Silently he turned his attention to the stars and found the two great lights looking down on him. He turned his head to point them out to Sakura, but as he did, two blurry lines formed under the stars from the movement and it looked like they were crying. Naruto stopped and stared up at the sky. He saw the slight hint of a face appear, but he couldn't make out who it was. She was upset and it looked like she was calling out to him. Then the image vanished leaving Naruto only with questions. The girl he saw definitely wasn't Sakura. Why couldn't he see her face in the stars anymore? After all, this was what he wanted, he was on date with her, he planned on having many more dates with her, so why couldn't he see her? Of course, if the woman in the sky wasn't Sakura, then who was she and why was she crying? Memories from his day with Hinata flashed through his mind and slight smile crossed his face.

"They are beautiful, aren't they Naruto." Sakura interrupted his thoughts. "You see? Those two stars, they are brightest in the sky."

Naruto didn't need to follow her gaze to know what she was looking at.

"Yes, they are. They are part of a constellation called Cassiopea." He said.

Sakura turned her green eyes on him and even though he could not see it, he could feel the shock in them. Naruto smiled and turned his head toward her.

"How do you know that?" She insisted.

"Jiraiya told me about it while I was training. The story goes something like a beautiful woman became too vain and was punished by the Gods to hang up in the sky for all eternity."

Sakura looked longingly at the stars.

"Didn't she have a lover or someone to save her." Sakura asked, her thoughts engrossed in the romance of the story.

"I don't know. I don't think so." Naruto shrugged. They continued to gaze up at the two shining stars together and Naruto's mind wandered to the night before. There was a slight tug on his heart as he remembered seeing Sasuke. Why had he appeared to him? And how did he disappear so quickly? He knew he should share what had happened with his teammate and he wanted to share it with his teammate, but for some reason, he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had seen Sasuke and he let him get away.

Naruto sighed and looked at the town clock. "It's time for us to go." He said as he stood and held out his arm for Sakura. She happily hooked her arm through his and looked at the bushy trees as they passed by them in the moonlight.

"I don't think I'd want someone to save me." Sakura asserted as they meandered down the path toward the restaurant.

"What do you mean?" Naruto wondered, curiosity ringing through his voice.

"Well, it's just that a person should be strong enough to take care of themselves. I wouldn't want to be a burden on everyone. Isn't that why we ninja train, so we are strong and can protect ourselves?" Sakura said absently.

"I guess." Naruto's brow furrowed as he contemplated Sakura's words. "I wanted to become a ninja so I would be strong enough to protect the village and the people I care about." Sasuke's face flashed through Naruto's mind and a shooting pain ran through his heart.

"Exactly." Sakura agreed. "And if you cannot protect yourself, then how can you protect the village?" Sakura said with an arrogant air. "Don't you agree Naruto?"

Naruto's mind stayed on Sasuke. He had been one of the strongest ninja in their age group, but he still was taken by the dark. Should Naruto just give up on him?

"I don't know what I believe." Naruto answered. Not wanting to upset Sakura by arguing with her on their date.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, hand in hand. Sakura sweetly caressed Naruto's palm with her thumb and allowed her side to brush up against him every now and again. Naruto heard a pounding in his ears every time she slid by him with her hip and he worried she could hear it too. As they continued walking the buildings became spaced farther apart and Sakura became more nervous as they headed toward the outskirts of the village.

"Where are you taking me Naruto." She asked tentatively. Naruto gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled.

"Trust me." He said. "Were almost there."

They walked by the giant trees that lined the water of the lake and Naruto could see three dark figures at the waters edge. He instinctively pulled Sakura closer to him and put his arm around her. There were almost there and he didn't want any trouble, so he quickened his step.

"Why are you walking so fast Naruto?" Sakura asked, concern in her voice.

"I thought you might be getting cold and we're almost there." Naruto responded. As he finished saying this, they turned the bend and there, at the edge of a dock, sat the Lakehouse in the middle of the water surrounded by a dozen lit trees. Sakura gasped as she eyed the tiny restaurant. Naruto smiled as a deep satisfaction spread through his body. When they entered the dimly lit building, the hostess immediately showed them to their table. Sakura continued to be impressed, as they bypassed all the candlelit booths inside the restaurant and were lead out to the more private tables outside by the lake. Naruto watched as Sakura marveled at the reflection of the moon in the water and the way the lights in the trees cast a faint glow on the surface of the lake.

"Wow! Now we can look at the stars while we eat." Sakura said with a huge smile on her face. "But Naruto, this place must be expensive."

"It's okay, nothing is too good for you Sakura." Naruto shrugged.

Sakura gave him a small smile and opened up her menu. Naruto watched as she studied it intently and found himself fighting back the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her. Her hair was rustling in the breeze and her skin glowed in the moonlight. Nothing could ruin this night.

"So Naruto," Sakura said from behind her menu, "you haven't said anything about the way I look tonight."

"Oh, I haven't?" Naruto said dumbly, he began rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about the skimpy little dress that showed off her legs and her little cleavage. "Oh, well you look, uh, great Sakura. Your legs look really nice in that dress." Naruto confessed as his mind began to wander what she would look like with the dress off. His cheeks turned pink and he opened his menu in an attempt to distract his mind.

"Oh, it looks like it might rain." Sakura commented as she stared up at the sky.

Naruto glanced up and saw dark cloudy figures moving across the face of the moon.

"Damn. Well, I guess I should go and have an umbrella brought out." He said as he excused himself from the table. Naruto disappeared inside the restaurant and found a waiter to accomadate them. When he returned, Sakura was gone. Frantically he ran back inside the restaurant and searched. Where could she be? I wasn't gone that long. He asked the hostess and the other staff if they had seen Sakura, if they had seen her go to the restroom or if she had left out the front door. All of them just shook their heads and said they had not the pink haired woman. Naruto went back out to where they had been sitting and looked around. He noted the way the Menu had been tossed to the ground and the way her napkin clung limply to the chair. These weren't the signs of a calm departure. It looked as though she had left in a hurry, or was taken. Naruto turned to leave the restaurant, in order to find a trace of where she may of gone, when he heard it.

"Sasuke, come back!" Sakura's voice echoed over the water. Naruto strained his eyes as he looked across the lake. He could faintly see her on the other side and she was chasing after a dark figure. His red eyes were visible even from this distance. Sasuke. Naruto jumped over the wooden railing of the deck and used his chakra to run across the top of the water.

"Sakura! Come back! Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as Sakura's silhouette slipped behind a large tree into the dark forest. Immediately he made a hundred clones and sent them off in several directions, while he followed the path he had seen Sakura take. I can't lose you too.

Naruto frantically chased after her following the glimpses of pink that appeared and disappeared behind each tree, as the rain began pouring down. He continued running and dodging the trees long after he had last seen her. He couldn't give up, he couldn't just let her go. He had to find her and bring Sasuke back. As Naruto continued his rampage through the forest, more clouds began to gather overhead and soon light drops began landing on his head. Gradually the rain became heavier, blurring Naruto's sight, while the trees became too dense for him to charge through. He had to stop, he couldn't keep up the pace, but he couldn't just give up. He had been too weak to save Sasuke before, he wasn't going to lose him again, or Sakura. Naruto stopped and surveyed his surroundings. There must be way to continue following them without blindly following. Naruto eyed the damp ground and studied the massive trees, then he eyed the bushy leaves above him. That's it. Swiftly, he leaped up into the branches and searched the surrounding area. Nothing, I can't see anything. Naruto looked out over the massive area in front of him. How could they already be gone. Then Naruto saw a shadowy figure approaching from the way he had just come. Naruto silently crouched up in the tree and waited for the dark figure to draw near. When the person stepped under the branch, Naruto plunged to the ground, taking the man down with him. Naruto wrestled with the man on the ground and pinned his hands back.

"Where is Sakura!" Naruto demanded.

"I don't know. I didn't see her, I was following you, I thought you might need my help." A familiar voice rang in Naruto's ears. Then a loud bark came from the shadows of the trees and a furry, four-legged creature emerged.

"Akamaru? Kiba? What are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked.

"Following you." Kiba answered. "What's going on?"

"Sakura followed Sasuke into the woods and I lost her." Naruto beat his fist against the ground angrily. "I have to go after her."

"Whoa there Naruto, we've already lost her and you don't know where she's going." Kiba said calmly. "What we need to do is go back and inform the Hokage, then we need to formulate a plan to rescue her."

"But I can't just let her go." Naruto insisted.

"You've already lost her, and I can't track her in the rain. Her scent has been washed away." Kiba explained to his friend. "Your best chance at finding Sakura is going back into the village, finding out as much as you can about Sasuke and formulating a plan before you leave."

"No, I can't believe that is my only option." Naruto resisted. "If I let her go down, I may never see her again. Time is too fragile to waste."

"If you ever want to see her again, you have to." Kiba gave him a serious look and Naruto resigned.

"Then we can't waste anytime." Naruto rose to his full height and a red flash illuminated his eyes. "Sakura's depending on us."

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	8. Chapter 8

The rain came down hard as Naruto followed Kiba through the trees. Their feet were swallowed by the mud as they blindly stumbled over the shrubs and tree roots that lined the ground. Kiba kept one hand on Akamaru to keep his balance and reassure himself that his best friend was okay, as they lead the way back to the village. They didn't have far to travel, but between the weather and the obstacles on the forest floor, the journey back took longer than it would have on a normal night. Eventually, through the dense foliage, Kiba could make out the bleary streetlights of Konoha. Excited, he turned around to encourage Naruto, but he wasn't there.

"Naruto!" Kiba cried. No answer. "Naruto!" He called again. Still there was no answer. Kiba looked at Akamaru and without a sound, they both headed back searching for Naruto. He couldn't have gone far, Kiba thought, he was right behind me. Damn the rain, I can't even tell if he is anywhere around. My sense of smell has been completely washed away. Suddenly, Kiba stopped. A dark figure emerged from behind the tree trunk directly ahead of him.

"Naruto!" Kiba gasped as he examined his friend. Naruto was covered in mud from head to foot and he was holding his arm.

"I fell down." The golden haired Shinobi muttered in shame. Kiba shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Well hurry, we're almost back to the village." Kiba ordered. At Kiba's words, Naruto regained his resolve and took the lead, charging through any trees or shrubs that stood in his way. Kiba was forced to jump onto Akamaru's back in order to keep up. Soon, they burst through the edge of the woods that opened up onto the lake. Neither Shinobi hesitated before running straight over the top of the lake to the other side.

"Naruto," Kiba called from behind, "we need to get Hinata before we continue onto the hokage." At the sound of Hinata's name Naruto stopped and rounded on Kiba.

"What, you left Hinata all by herself." He yelled, outraged by the idea. Kiba knew about the sitings, how could he leave Hinata all alone. Naruto glared at his comrade, his insides boiling.

"She is a Kunoichi," Kiba screamed back defending his actions. "She is strong enough to handle herself! Besides, I told her to stay hidden under the cover of the trees."

Naruto seethed at Kiba's words. So what if she was a Kunoichi, Sakura was one too and she had been taken. If Sakura had been taken, than what chance did Hinata have. Sakura was a strong, self-confident Kunoichi. Compared to her innate athtleticism, Hinata's soft voice, shy eyes and slender body seemed too gentle, too delicate, too trusting to resist an attack.

Naruto resisted the urge to respond to Kiba and silently followed him along the edge of the lake. The water was overflowing and they had to wade through it as the rain pelted them in the face. Naruto didn't care, he was alread soaked and the ankle deep water wouldn't make any difference. When they came upon the cluster of trees where Kiba had left Hinata, Naruto noticed a shadowy a figure. At first he was relieved, Hinata was alright, but upon closer inspection, he realized the shadow did not fit the description of a petite, dainty female. On the contrary, the figure was roughly the same height as Naruto with broad shoulders, as Naruto and Kiba closed the distance, Naruto could clearly see the man was wearing a jacket that covered the bottom portion of his face and a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Shino, where's Hinata?" Kiba inquired as he dismounted Akamaru. Shino didn't move, despite the heavy flow of water cascading down his glasses down his face and into his jacket.

"I assume she has gone after you." Shino stated.

"What do you mean she ran after us?!" Naruto yelled as he forced his way past Kiba and grabbed a handful of Shino's jacket.

"Just what I said. I was walking by when Hinata caught my attention. She asked me to stay here in case Kiba returned." Shino said nonchalantly as Naruto glowered in his face. Naruto was furious now. Both Kiba and Shino had left Hinata to fend for herself and now she was missing. He wanted to turn to Kiba and punch him, he wanted to lecture him for his incompetence, he wanted shake Shino for allowing her to wander off. Now she was missing and it was all their fault. First Sakura, now Hinata. Who would be next?

"I don't understand." Kiba scratched his head in wonder. "I specifically told her stay here."

"That's not the point." Naruto burst out in anger. He couldn't control his temper any longer. "Hinata is gone and it's all your fault, you should have known better than to leave her alone."

"Hinata is just a strong as any of us!" Kiba hollered as he felt the pit of his stomach drop. He knew each word Naruto spoke was true. He shouldn't have left her alone. He knew that she was strong, but he should have protected her.

"That's enough you two, now is not the time to fight. Saving Hinata and Sakura must come first." Shino calmly intervened.

Both Naruto and Kiba dropped their heads and muttered under their breath. Shino was right, they couldn't just stand there arguing, they had to inform the Hokage. She would know what to do. Reluctantly, Kiba and Naruto ended their fight and lead the way to Tsunade, while Shino followed close behind them. It wasn't until they had almost reached the Hokage's office that a thought hit Kiba and he subtly dropped back to speak to Shino.

"Hey Shino," Kiba called, he voice dripping with curiosity. "What were you doing wandering the streets of Konoha at this time of night?"

"I was practicing the family jutsu." Shino answered without missing a beat. Kiba studied his friend as he ran beside him. For awhile, the only sound they could hear was the slapping of the water at their feet as Kiba mulled over his friends response.

"Are you referring to the same family jutsu you've been working on for the last three years?" Kiba interrogated as he eyed his friend suspiciously.

"Yes." Shino responded unnerved.

"Really?" Kiba said. His interest perked more than ever. "You know, I don't believe that Hinata or I have ever seen that jutsu." He pressed.

Shino tugged on his jacket collar and cleared his throat. "What? I can't take a leisurely walk after training?" He said defensively. "I thought we were comrades. A comrade doesn't become suspicious of his friend." Shino complained, eluding the question. Guilt quickly overtook Kiba and he ran the rest of the way to the Hokage's in silence.

When the trio approached the fire red building of the Hokage, Naruto wasted no time waiting for an underling to open the doors. He barged right in, with Kiba and Shino trailing behind. Naruto made his way down the circular hallways ignoring the cries of irritation from the other ninja and staff as he caused papers to fly and boards to shake loose with his out of control chakra. When he reached the wooden double doors leading into the the Hokage's office, he kicked them open and didn't come to a stop until he hovered over Tsunade.

The blond haired, beauty continued working on her reports and only glanced up to acknowledge the entrance of the two shinobi who straggled in after the whirling ball of anger.

"Yes?" She asked distractedly, her blue eyes still examining the papers in front of her.

"Grandma Tsunde, you have to do something now! Sakura's been taken by Sasuke and Hinata has disappeared as well!" The words urgently spilled out of Naruto's mouth.

Tsunade took in a deep breath and placed her quill neatly across the top of the paper stack upon her desk.

"Slow down Naruto, tell me what happened." Tsunade ordered in a soothing voice.

Naruto relayed the events that transpired on his date with Sakura and Tsunade listened intently with her chin resting on her hands. She studied every move he made as his hand gestures and pacing became wilder with the progression of his story. When he reached the point where Hinata went missing, he glared at Kiba and Shino and blamed them outright for her actions. Emotionless Shino accepted the accusation, while Kiba balled his hands into angry fists, leaving bloody impressions where his claw-like nails had dug into his skin. After Naruto had finished his story, Tsunade laid her hands across her desk and contemplated the new information.

"We must form a team to go out at once." She finally announced. "I don't really know much about the Sasuke sitings. I only have the reports people have given me over the past three years, but reports from civilians are hardly ever helpful, or compromised ninja for that matter." Tsunade eyed the rambunctious shinobi at her side. "Still, even with so little intelligence, I find it hard to believe that Sakura is his true target. If she had been, why would he have waited for so long to make his move."

"Perhaps he is using her as bate to draw out his real target." Shino coolly offered.

"Perhaps." Tsunade concurred and she eyed all three of them. "For now, we will treat this as a seek and rescue mission. Our main objective is to bring back Sakura and find Hinata." Shino studied Tsunade as she continuously glanced at Naruto. "I guess I'll have to send out the people I have here for now." She frowned as she rubbed her chin. "Too bad I sent Shikamaru out on such a frivolous mission." Shino frowned at her words.

"I am just as capable as Shikamaru ma'am. My analytical skills are close to being just as good as Shikamaru's and my teammate is one of the people missing." He defended himself, hurt by her snub.

"Huh? Oh yeah Shino, I almost forgot all about your abilities. I guess you will have to do in Shikamaru's place." Tsunade waved a hand dismissively in his direction.

Shino slumped down in defeat. Not even the Hokage recognized him. At least he has his teammates. Hinata would be grateful for his help in finding her.

"I think that we will need to call out one more person, after all we can't send you out in such a small number." Tsunade said with a smile.

A dark figure emerged from the corner. His long black hair contrasting his wholly like robes and silver eyes, his stoic face betraying no emotion.

"Neji will be accompanying you as well. He was the first to spot Sasuke three years ago, and he is the only other person who witnessed what has transpired tonight." Tsunade announced.

"Then that means..."Kiba gasped.

"That's right Kiba, I already knew before you came. However, Neji didn't arrive here that far ahead of you three, so I didn't have to time to send out another squad. So for now you will have to do. Be careful, in all of my reports, Sasuke's description has never changed. I don't know anything more than that." Then she dismissed them from her office and buried herself with the paperwork on her desk. They were on their own for now.

Naruto raced down the halls once more and stopped just outside the front doors. The rain hit his face as he waited for the other three to catch back up.

Neji, Shino and Kiba walked down the corridors together, following in Naruto's wake.

Shino turned to Neji. "How much longer does he have?"

Neji activated his Byakugan and silently examined his target.

"Minutes." He said. Kiba gave the two of them a bewildered look.

"What are you two talking about?" He asked.

Neji ignored Kiba's inquiry and turned his attention back to Shino.

"How long has he been like this?" Their gate slowed as they approached the double doors.

"Twenty, maybe thirty minutes." Shino guessed.

Neji silently took in this information.

"Impressive." He said passively.

"Tell me what your talking about!" Kiba demanded as his head spun from the mysterious conversation between the other two squad members.

"Relax Kiba, you'll understand soon." Shino coaxed his teammate like a puppy and Kiba allowed the statement to subside his curiosity, but not his outward frustration at his teammates.

Together they straggled out into the cold, rainy night. Naruto greeted them with a tapping foot and crossed arms.

"Geez, could you guys be any slower." He glowered at the three them. "We need to hurry if we want to rescue Sakura and find Hinata."

Shino nodded his head in acknowledgment and stepped forward, the water splashing at his feet.

"Before we go Naruto, I have something else you need to hear." Shino said laying his hand on Naruto's muddy shoulder and bringing his shaded eyes to Naruto's. "You need to believe in her."

"What?" Naruto scrunched his face in confusion. "What do you mean believe in her? Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden Shino?"

Shino just shook his head and repeated his words with more force. "Believe in her Naruto." The rain pelted down on the four of them as they stood their in silence.

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Hinata made her way through the wall of rain and trees. If she was anyone else, she would have lost site of them long ago, but her byakugan was impervious to the blinding rain. All she had to do was make sure she could keep up. Her light summer dress now clung to every inch of her thighs and torso, suffocating her skin, but she had to keep moving forward. He needed her help. She needed to be strong enough, no she was strong enough to help.

She concentrated on the girlish figure countless meters away who briskly moved through the wood. Who or what she was following, Hinata could not discern. She couldn't even tell where they were headed. As Hinata trudged forward through the mud, her foot suddenly got caught. Frustrated, she pulled her leg up with as much force as she could muster, only to fall down into the wet dirt. Disoriented, Hinata struggled to push herself back up using the soft ground, when she heard a twig crack in the distance.

Hinata's heart began to race and her eyes went wide with fear. Desperately she pulled at her leg, as wet, squishy footsteps began to close in on her. Hinata's mind began to race with thoughts of her childhood, thoughts of her father and thoughts of Neji. She could see her father telling her not to get in the way as she left on her first mission. He had always believed she was more of a nuisance than a ninja. Then there was Neji. She could picture him sneering at her as he hit her with his final blow during the chunnin exams. He had always been strong, while she had always been weak. Had he been right? Could people not change? Would she always be destined to be nothing more than a hindrance a bother to her teammates and everyone around her? No, she couldn't believe that, she had been training for so long. She had tried so hard to become strong, like Kiba, like Neji, like Naruto.

"BYAKUGAN!" Hianta cried, frightened tears beginning to form in her lavender eyes. Clearly she could make out the shape of her assailant. He was standing just on the other side of the tree and he had an awkward chakra swirling in the middle of his system. She watched as the young man made his way around the tree and stopped feet away from her. His was face hidden in the shadows of the night, but Hinata knew who he was, she would know his silhouette anywhere she thought as several beads of water flowed down his forehead and lingered at the tip of his nose.

"Hinata?" A familiar voice breathed her name.

A rush of relief swept through Hinata, clearing her head and allowing the tears to flow freely and mingle with the rain.

"Naruto." She whispered back with a warm smile on her face.

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Don't forget to visit my website /cerebralfantasies I have the second chapter of gypsy up.


	9. Chapter 9

The rain flowed down Hinata's porcelain face, as she stared up into her golden haired shinobi's blue eyes, hiding the tears of relief that spilled down her cheeks. Her heart beat progressively slowed down as he studied her there on the ground. Her foot had been completely swallowed up in the mud and her delicate pink dress was spotted with dark splotches and her eyes...they were open wide, like a deer that has been cornered by the hunter. Naruto shook his head, bent down and held out his hand. Wordlessly, Hinata grabbed hold of his wrist, a warm sensation melting throughout her body as his fingers wrapped around her, securing their place around her tiny arm. Then Naruto gently helped Hinata to her feet. Once she was upright, Naruto allowed Hinata to steady herself by placing her hands on his broad shoulders, as she pulled her leg out of her muddy prison. She pulled with all her mite, the force causing her to lose her balance, sending her forward into Naruto's chest. He quickly wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling.

Hinata blushed furiously at the warmth of his embrace and quickly backed away, stumbling over her own feet. Naruto reached out and grabbed Hinata by the waist to steady her. He looked into her face and she quickly turned to the side, hiding her embarrassment.

"Th-thank you Naruto." She whispered softly pushing his hands away. Her eyes shut in shame. She was thankful he had helped her but...

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Naruto asked. His voice dripping with concern.

"I-I was well, I was just..." Hinata shivered and hugged herself, her fingers sliding over her cold, wet skin.

"You know it's not safe out here. What happened to Kiba? I thought he walked you home?" Hinata flinched at Naruto's harsh tone, as he stood looming over her, overwhelming her with his anger. "He shouldn't have left you all alone! It's Not Safe! It's Not Safe!" He yelled at her, his hands grabbing her tightly by the shoulders and squeezing. Hinata let out a painful whimper. Naruto quickly released his victim as his eyes opened wide in horror.

Hinata took a step back, the moon casting a dark shadow across Naruto's face. Her mind racing in fear. Was this...could this be her Naruto. No, this wasn't...this couldn't be him. He was angry, he was feral, not like a wild animal. No he was like a rabid dog, mad with envy and loss. All he was missing was the foam at his mouth.

"W-what's wrong with you Naruto?" Hinata reached her hand out to him and he just stared at it, while the raindrops noisily fell against the emptiness of her skin. Hinata stared at her open palm as the rain splattered against it. "I-I know Sakura has been taken Naruto, but-but we will get her back." Hinata resolutely declared as thousands of invisible needles pricked her heart . He was upset like this because Sakura was gone, she had been taken and now the only person he had was poor, pathetic Hinata. He didn't even want to take her hand.

"She followed him willingly." Naruto stated, his voice full of menace as he stared blankly at the ground. Hinata took another step back, the mud squishing at her feet. Her arms blindly outstretched behind her. Her heart picking up the pace as her palm came in contact with the soaked, rough surface of a trunk.

"W-willingly?" Hinata stammered. "W-why would she go willingly." Naruto's eyes shot up at her question and Hinata squirmed under the scrutiny of his sinster gaze.

"Yes, willingly." He repeated malous lining his voice. "We were on a date, I finally got her to go out with me, and then he showed up. How do you think it made me feel, how do you think it feels to see the person you care about running off with someone else?" His voice growing louder with every word as he yanked on his mud stained shirt over and over again.

Hinata pressed her whole being up against the bark of the massive tree behind her. Her mind cowering in his presence. She dug her fingernails into the side of the thick wood as she desperately searched for something to say. Her mind raced with images of Naruto and Sakura, laughing fighting, and just hanging out. Then thoughts of her ran through her mind, hanging out with Naruto, talking and laughing, but these weren't as carefree as the Sakura memories, they weren't quite as happy. These memories were lined with a dark tint and the quiet sound of a heartbreaking, as the two spent the day shopping and planning the date Hinata wanted so badly, that he would have with another girl. Hinata instinctively grabbed for the familiar object at her chest, but it wasn't there. Instantly she backed herself as far against the trunk as she possibly could, rubbing her skin raw on her back.

"May-Maybe she will come back for you." Hinata's voiced cracked as she spoke. "A-afterall, Sasuke has been gone for a long time, i-it's only n-natural for a p-person to m-miss there-there missing teammate. W-wouldn't y-you h-have g-gone a-after h-him t-too?" Hinata suggested in fear and immediately held her breath for his response.

"Mmh mmph, Mmh mmph, Oh dear sweet Hinata." Naruto chorkled at the thought of her words. "You're always the first one to try and make me feel better, to put a better spin on things, to let me know you believe in me." He said as he intensely began to study her petite form, pushed up against the tree, her soaked dress clinging to her body and her long hair stuck to her arms, framing her large, white breasts. "It must be have been so hard for you to watch me chase and pursue the same pink haired girl for all these years, a girl who didn't understand me, or even respect me, while you were right there, quietly watching, waiting and yearning." He whispered in her ear, his arms trapping her against the tree.

"How could I not see it, how could I have passed over the only girl in the village who believed in me...who wanted me?" He wondered as he slowly caressed her arm. Hinata turned her head away he body shivering, but not from the rain this time.

"Well Hinata, you can have me now." Naruto growled in her ear as he aggressively kissed her on the neck and slid his hand up her milky thigh.

Hinata's hand swiftly came down on top of Naruto's rough skin, stopping his advance, as the other hovered in the air, aimed at his chest, a light of chakra emanating from her knuckles. Naruto, held her arm with his free hand, cutting off her blood supply at the wrist.

"Wh-what is wrong with you Naruto?" Hinata squealed in terror. "What are you doing?" She cried, not bothering to hide the tears.

"I'm giving you what you want." Naruto stated. "Because no one should be denied what they want." He finished, a red flash resonating through his eyes.

Hinata tossed her head and frantically flailed her arms. Naruto grabbed her dainty wrists in his massive hands and forcefully pinned them against the tree with one hand, as he allowed the other to continue is passage slowly up her thigh. Hinata opened her mouth and let out a scream. It's not, this is not him. She thought as he crushed his lips to her, cutting her voice off in an instance. Naruto wouldn't do this, but he is Naruto. After a moment, Naruto removed his lips from hers and breathed into her ear.

"I've always wanted to fuck a submissive bitch." He said as his hand tugged at her underwear, causing it to rip.

Hinata turned her head and lifted her knee up, causing Naruto to jump back. She quickly fell into her fighting stance, her eyes red, full of fury and fear.

"You're not Naruto. Who are you?" She demanded, a contempt in her voice she didn't recognize.

Hinata watched the rain pour down on Naruto, his hair limp and his face lined with hate.

"You'll pay for that you little bitch." He yelled as he came toward her. Hinata called on her chakra, sending two swirling balls to her fists and attacked. Naruto nonchalantly stepped to the side and pulled her by the hair, punching her in the face. Hinata shook in fear and looked up at the sky.

"Naruto!" She called. "Naruto! Help me." She silently cried as the man pulled her back to the tree, forcing her dress up as he fumbled with his zipper. Hinata's heart died, as she waited for what was to come. Then she heard it. A faint and far away voice calling her name.

"Hinata, be strong. Whatever it is you can fight it. You can fight anything." The voice was familiar and comforting, but where was it coming from? "Hinata, whatever it is it's not real." He called. "And remember, no matter what happens, I'll be here to catch you."

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Neji, Kiba and Shino swiftly made their way through the woods. Neji leading the way through the dark and rainy woods with his byakugan and Kiba riding on Akamaru's back.

"Have you found them?" Shino inquired after Neji. "No not yet. It had been awhile since I had last seen them, so I am starting from scratch now. I have to scan the whole forest instead of a controlled area."

As Neji and Shino ran past the forest trees ahead of Kiba, sending waves of water flying in the dark, something reflected the moonlight into his eyes and caught his attention.

"Hey, guys hold on a second." He ordered as he dismounted from Akamaru's back and walked over to the muddy tree root sticking out of the ground. Carefully Kiba leand over and picked up the shiny object and stared at it in his hand. Instantly his eyes went wide in worry.

"I-it's Hinata's." He said, meticulously tracing the perfect heart he had given her with his thumb. She always wore, ever since the day he gave it to her, his heart dropped when he thought about what was inside, but he made himself feel better by telling himself that he was the protector of her heart. Neji and Shino just watched their friend, waiting for more of an explanation.

Kiba just studied the heart in his hand. If it was here, then Hinata must be....

"Akamaru!" Kiba hollered. Instantly the big dog was by his comrade's side and Kiba mounted him, ordering him to trudge on ahead. He couldn't smell her, but he knew she was near.

"Kiba!" Shino said in shock, but Kiba didn't answer. Reluctantly, Neji and Shino pursued their crazy teammate, as the rain began to come down harder, hitting them in the face with the force of a baseball.

Kiba forced his way through the forest, pushing the relentless branches of the trees out of way and ignoring the water stinging his face. As he desperately rounded the trunk of a tree, a dark figure came into view. Through the rain, Kiba could make out the small form of a person, lying lifeless on the ground. Instantly his stomach dropped and his heart was still in his chest.

No, he though as he dismounted Akamaru and ran over the petite woman laying in the mud, her foot caught in the ground. Kiba kneeled down beside her, his hands shaking as he looked for any sign of life. Then, he heard a soft whimper escape her lips. At that moment, his heart began to beat again. Suddenly, she shook all over and cried out. "Naruto! Naruto help me!"

Kiba swept her up into his arms, tears pulling in his brown eyes. What was going on? He gently began to rock her, his hand cradling her face. What was he suppose to do, how was he suppose to wake her up? Suddenly an idea came to him and he concentrated all of his chakra at her forehead and try to disperse any mind controlling genjutsus. He sat there for minutes, but it didn't work. Tears, quickly spilled down Kiba's brown skin as Hinata's face grimaced in agony.

"Hinata, be strong..." he cried.

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Slowly, Hinata's mind began to fight toward the sound of the voice. Everything went black and she didn't know where she was, but she could hear the voice even clearer now. Then, she gently fluttered her eyes and opened them, only to find a pair familiar dark feral eyes staring right back at her. His strong, warm arms protectively around her.

Scared, but relieved, Hinata buried her head into his chest and cried. Kiba held her, ignoring the arrival of his two slower teammates and allowed the relief to wash over his body, but not to wash away the guilt, as the rain fell down on them.

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Please check out my website .com where I will posting the third chapter of my story gypsy by Sunday. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

Naruto raced through the darkness, as branch after branch slapped him in the face and the water rushed through his hair. He had no idea where he was going, but he had to keep moving, he couldn't just let Sasuke go. He couldn't let Sakura go. Suddenly he felt a jolt and he leaned against the nearest tree in order to steady himself. He always hated it when his shadow clones dissipated and the chakra came back to him, it knocked him off center almost every time, but that was the price he paid

While he regained his composure, he processed the new information the clones had gathered. Instantly, the color drained from his face as he became nauseous with fear. Hinata was missing too, Kiba and Shino had left her alone, he didn't know what to do. He needed to follow Sakura, but he couldn't just leave Hinata out in the dark woods all by herself. His two halves butted heads, leaving Naruto paralyzed in confusion. Then, he felt the familiar ominous presence, the one that had been lingering around Sakura's earlier that night. He swiftly turned around, just in time to block the fist that was wielding a kunai and heading for his skull. The leaves rustled from the movement, as Naruto found himself face to face with a pair of memorable red eyes.

Naruto blinked, his mind whirling, trying to make sense out of the chaos that surrounded him. He was looking Sasuke in the face, he came up to Naruto's chest and he wore his signature blue shirt with the Uchiha insignia. He still possessed the same boyish features and his dark hair blended into the shadows. Irritated, Sasuke pushed himself back using Naruto's arm, which fell limply to his side as he watched Sasuke calmly make his way through the mud to a nearby tree stump and sit down. He brought one knee to his chest, leaving the other dangling over the stump, and crossed his arm over his bent knee. He lifted his face up so that the moonlight caught his sinster eyes in the night. They were focused on Naruto, as he struggled to lift his arms and move his legs. Sasuke snickered as he watched his weaker comrade try to resist his power.

"It's useless, your in my world now." Sasuke stated, his voice low and full of venom. Ignoring his friends words, Naruto stubbornly continued trying to lift his lifeless arms and glued legs.

"To think that I once trained with you." Sasuke sneered. "I made the right decision in leaving the village. If I had stayed, I may have become as weak and useless as the rest of the ninja in this village. I mean just look at you Naruto. Knowingly struggling against something you cannot overcome. It almost makes me feel sorry for you." Sasuke finished as he played with the kunai in his hand.

"What do you want?!" Naruto demanded in frustration, after three years of training with one of the legendary sennins all he could do was talk big, while his limbs were restrained by some imaginary force.

Sasuke shook his head at Naruto's words. "Now, now Naruto, this is not how the game works." Sasuke said as he made his way toward Naruto, continuing to fiddle with the kunai in his hands. "Demands are made only by people in power, and you my friend, are in a very precarious position, while I on the other hand, have the power, so I believe we will be playing by my rules." Sasuke hissed in Naruto's ear, as he pushed his kunai to Naruto's throat. At that moment, lightning flashed through the sky, lighting up the damp forest floor. Clearly, Naruto could make out two figures encased in a thick bubbly layer of clear goo. The two bubbles were resting in opposite trees and both people had a similar blank expression on their face.

"Hinata! Sakura!" Without thinking, Naruto tried to rush over to them. He was meet with the resistance of a thousand weights and his body went limp as he panted heavily from the exertion.

"I'm surprised at Naruto." Sasuke said in disappointment. "Tell me what would you have done once you had ran your neck into my kunai?" Sasuke pressed the weapon harder against Naruto's skin, reminding him of the danger he was in. Naruto narrowed his eyes at his old comrade, his face deep in concentration.

"It's no use." Sasuke stated. "You won't be able to call on it here, I told you, this is my world. The beasts chakra cannot penetrate my mind, at least, not after you're already in it." Sasuke glanced up at his captives. "Now then Naruto, are you ready to move on?" Sasuke asked in a tired voice.

Naruto looked up into Sakura's and Hinata's unseeing faces and furrowed his brow in anger. "No Sasuke, I am not done, I still have some questions I want to ask you."

Sasuke's eyes rose in surprise. "Oh, and what would you like to know?" He asked, his voice challenging.

Naruto thought for moment, trying to assess the situation. He couldn't tell if what was going on was real or not. "Why haven't you changed in the three years you've been gone from Konoha?" Naruto inquired.

"Humph, that's it? That's what you want to know?" Sasuke lauged. "Have I really not changed in the three years that I've been gone, or do I want you to think that I haven't, or maybe, maybe I'm not Sasuke at all." He smirked at the suggestion.

Naruto stared at the frozen figures of Sakura and Hinata in confusion. "Well if this isn't real, is this a dream?'' Naruto wondered.

"No, this is not a dream, it's as real as anything else in your life." Sasuke told him, the rain pouring down on the two figures.

"Well if this isn't a dream, are you really Sasuke?" Naruto pushed. He wanted him to keep talking, the more he knew, the more likely it was he would be able to escape.

"I am to you." Sasuke replied cryptically.

"If you're the real Sasuke then prove it." Naruto challenged.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head in annoyance. Then he gripped Naruto's head and forced him to look at Sakura's body, trapped inside the clear bubble.

"Sakura is the girl you've desperately had a crush on since the academy, but she never acknowledged you in that way, in fact, she preferred me and annoyed me with her constant flirting and nosy personality. She shunned you and never believed in your abilities as a ninja and to this day you want her to be your girlfriend. You even asked her out on a date, on which she left you at the sight of me." Sasuke accurately pounded out the facts. Then he turned Naruto's attention to Hinata. "Hinata has always been a shy, but capable kunoichi. She has spent most of her life being degraded by her family and was severely injured in her fight with her cousin Neji during the chuunin exams. Her father favors her littler sister Hanabi over her and she has admired you from afar and always believed in your abilities as a ninja. In fact, it was from her encouragement that you faced Neji yourself during the chuunin exams. To this day, she trains herself harder than any of her teammates, just so that she can be a strong ninja, like you Naruto. She believes she is weak and will never have the strength to be your equal, as ninja, or as a lover." Sasuke finished with a smile. "So is that evidence enough for you?" Sasuke jammed his knee into Naruto's back. Naruto winced in pain as he stared up at Hinata.

"So if you're Sasuke, then why are you here? What do you want with Sakura and Hinata?" Naruto asked, anger resonating through he voice.

"Don't you see?" Sasuke whispered. "I told you from the start this is a game. It's a test." Sasuke explained.

"A test?" Naruto repeated, confused.

"Yes Naruto. You will have till morning to save Sakura and Hinata." Sasuke sneered as his tongue rolled over their names.

"That will be easy, they right here." Naruto claimed, his overconfidence shining through his paralized exterior.

Naruto had barely finished speaking when Sasuke snapped his fingers, causing the two bubbly prisons to disappear.

"Where did they go?" Naruto demanded, his eyes wide in horror.

"I have placed them somewhere safe." Sasuke answered. "They are sitting at opposite ends of the forest. Sakura has been sent to the waterfalls. Remember the waterfalls Naruto, the place where we fought as I left Konoha and you vowed to bring me back." Sasuke chuckled sardonically at the memory. "And Hinata, she has been placed near Hokage mountain. Remember, you only have til dawn to rescue them, which means that you only have time to go after one." Sasuke paused, allowing the information to sink into Naruto's thick head. "So which will you choose, will you go after your teammate, and long time crush, or will you rescue your friend, who has always been neglected, who has always believed in you and more than admires you?" Sasuke released Naruto and gave him a sardonic smile. "Oh, before I forget, you cannot use any justus here, so don't even think about using your shadow clones. You'll have rescue them the old fashioned way, without any chakra." With that Sasuke disappeared and Naruto was left in the dark, rainy, forest alone. He collapsed as the hold on his body was released and he clutched the mud in his hands, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

It would be dawn within a couple of hours, he needed to hurry if he was going to rescue anyone, but which one should he go after. He secretly cursed Kiba and Shino for not being more protective of Hinata. If they had been more vigilant, he would only have to worry about Sakura, but now, now he had to choose, between his long time crush and new found friend. Desparately Naruto stared up into the sky, drops of water hitting his eyes. Frantically he searched the cloudy night, he needed to find them, he needed to see them. They would give him his answer, but they weren't there. He couldn't find the two guiding lights he had become so accustomed to. It was as though they had gone out, leaving Naruto like a lost child in search of a home. Home, Naruto thought. That's it. He quickly pushed himself off of the ground and made his way through the woods. He knew what he had to do. He hoped she would forgive him.

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Hinata shook in Kiba's arms, her tears staining his jacket.

"It's okay." Kiba coaxed as he gently caressed her hair. "It's okay, you're okay. We're here now, nothing's going to happen to you." He tried to force a smile across his hard face, as he pushed back the tears trying to make their way out.

Neji studied his cousin as Akamaru snuggled against her back.

"What do you think happened to her?" Shino inquired.

"I don't know." Neji responded. "Perhaps it would be best if we scoured the area." He suggested.

"I concur." Shino agreed, as he held up an arm and silently ordered a small army of insects out of his jacket to scour the perimeter.

"What should we do about Hinata?" Neji wondered as the two viewed the disheartening scene laid out before them.

"We should give her time to recover from what happened to her." Shino wisely advised. "She'll be more useful when she isn't as emotional."

As Neji and Shino observed their two comrades, a small winged bug made it's way back to Shino's hand.

"That didn't take long." Neji noted. Shino didn't respond. He intently focused his attention on the tiny creature that had returned to him, then he turned to Neji.

"I think I'll go for a walk. Stay here and keep an eye on Kiba and Hinata, Naruto has been spotted. I'll contact you if I need help." Shino said nonchalantly. Neji just nodded his head in agreement and watched as Shino sauntered out of sight.

Kiba clutched the small locket he had discovered in his hand. Slowly he lifted Hinata up so that her bloodshot eyes meet his concerned face. He wanted to cheer her up, but she wouldn't speak to him, she only cried, so he thought this might help. Carefully he positioned the locket in his hand and presented it to her. "I found it before I discovered you." Kiba explained.

Hinata eyed the small necklace, her eyes staring at the heart, the place where he resided. She quickly pushed Kiba's hand away and hugged her knees, tears rolling down her face harder than before.

Kiba shot her a quizzical look and studied the locket in his hand. She had been so happy the day he had given it to her. She finally had a place to put her strength so she could always have it with her. Why wouldn't she want it now?

"Hinata, don't you want the necklace I gave you, the one where you keep your strength?" Kiba tenderly asked.

Hinata didn't even look at him, she just shook her head and pressed her knees closer to her chest. A fierce surge of anger erupted in Kiba and he clutched the necklace tight. If that son of a bitch had done something to Hinata, then he was going to rip him a part. Suddenly he felt a soft hand on his arm and he looked down into Hinata's soft face.

"Um, Kiba." She whimpered. Can you hold onto the inside of the necklace? I don't think I can keep it right now." She asked. Kiba looked into her sad eyes. He wanted to make her happy, he wanted to see her smile again.

"Okay." He said, then hesitated. "If I do, then do you want hold onto the necklace?"

Hinata bit her lip as she contemplated his question. It didn't feel right without her strength, but the locket could no longer hold onto it. Kiba had given it to her as a friend, there was no reason she shouldn't wear it. Hinata stared into his brown eyes. Then Hinata took a deep breath.

"Yes, I want the necklace." Hinata answered. "Maybe it will protect my strength again one day, but for now it will just have to remind me of my friends." She said with a smile. A small sinking feeling pulling on her heart.

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If you like this story check out my story gypsy at .com


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto ran through the woods, his feet slipping on the soaked forest floor as thoughts whirled in his mind. He couldn't waste anytime, he had to save them. He had no chackra, they were an impossible distance away from each other and he was trapped in Sasuke's world. He had made his decision, but he still couldn't fight back the overwhelming feeling of guilt that continued to creep into his consciousness, causing his heart to writhe in pain. Hinata was shy and vulnerable, her father had ignored her and rejected her throughout her life, she knew what it meant to be alone, to be unwanted. Sakura, however, was his teammate, one of his best friends and the girl he'd always wanted, he couldn't betray her now, but Shino, Shino had told him to believe in Hinata. What did that mean?

Naruto quickened his pace as the rain stung his face and body. There was only one thing he could think of, only one answer, and if it didn't work then he would lose them both. The guilt choking his heart as the last thought crossed his mind.

Naruto bobbed and weaved through the familiar underbrush of the trees as he headed toward the place he was sure to find the person, the one he was looking for, the one he needed to find, as he ran he discovered a pair of tracks in the mud, heading in the same direction he was traveling. His nerve steeled and his will burned. He was close, he could feel it. Naruto wasted no time in pursuing the fresh tracks, closing the distance between him and his prey.

As Naruto came around the bend, he suddenly realized there was a set of three footprints clearly imprinted in the wet ground. Frustrated he furrowed his brow in anger and surveyed the area around him. He had completely examined half of the circular area when his spotted it. A damp tree stump nestled underneath the protective barrier of leaves and branches provided by the larger oaks surrounding it.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Naruto cursed as he kicked the ground.

"What's the matter, Naruto? Lost?" An amused voice echoed through the trees. Naruto craned his head to the sky, desperately trying to find the place the voice was coming from, as he clenched his fists in anger.

"SASUKE!" Naruto cried. "I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSE TO SAVE SAKURA AND HINATA! WHY AM I BACK HERE!"

Naruto heard an eerie laugh ruffle the leaves of the trees. "Now now Naruto, you're not playing by the rules. I told you to save either Sakura or Hinata."

"I WAS!" Naruto screamed into the rain. "WHY AM I BACK HERE!"

"Well isn't it obvious Naruto, you're wandering in circles. You don't know what you want."

Naruto grit his teeth and dropped to his hands and knees.

"I know what I want, I want a place that feels like home...a place where I feel like I belong." The tears began to form in his eyes.

"Then all you have to do is figure out where that is." The voice advised, "but I suggest you do it soon, it's only an hour before sunrise, and once the light hits the horizon you're time to decide will be up."

"I-I don't understand." Naruto whispered. "Why are you doing this, Sasuke?" His eyes staring blankly at the ground, as the water pulled in the muddy crevices surrounding him.

"I told you, it's a game, I'm testing you, Naruto, testing how strong you are." Sasuke's voice whispered in Naruto's ear.

"But why?" Naruto pleaded. "Why are you testing me, what do you want, you were my friend, are my friend, why would you want to hurt me?"

"Aaah," Sasuke mused, " why would I want to test you Naruto, why would I hurt you? It's because I need you, Naruto. I am too weak to live in my present condition. I want, no need, the power of the Kyuubi. Only the power you contain can make me strong again, only it can let me come home again. All I need is for you to choose."

"W-why do I have to choose? What will that prove? You said you need the Kyuubi, so why do you need Sakura or Hinata?" Naruto growled.

"I need something to control the Kyuubi with, until I am strong enough to control it myself." Sasuke answered.

Naruto stopped to think about this last statement. If he needed someone to control the Kyuubi with, why would he choose Sakura or Hinata, wouldn't he want someone more skilled?

"You need to hurry, Naruto, you are wasting your time trying to think this through." Sasuke said as his voice slowly faded away, leaving Naruto alone, his hands gripping the muddy ground. Naruto stayed in that position for some time, contemplating Sasuke's words. He thought he knew, he thought he had known which one he wanted, which one he was going to choose, but, but now he was more confused than when he had started. Naruto laid on the ground and hid his face in his arms. There he drifted off to sleep, images of Sakura and Hinata in pain running through his mind, and he was too helpless, too weak, to save them.

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Naruto slowly opened his eyes. The vast darkness surrounding him and the rain hitting his face. He lay there in a daze, fragments of his encounter with Sasuke floating through his head. Then he heard a soft voice, one that was soothing and comforting, but something was wrong. The voice was strained, filled with terror and fear. Naruto lay there listening intently to her.

"Don't go Kiba, you can't leave me alone with him." Naruto cringed at the pain in her voice.

"I'll be right back, Akamaru and I are just going to survey the area, like Shino and Neji ordered us to, then I promise I'll be back with you." Kiba's tone became warmer as he said the last few words and Naruto clenched his teeth, as an unfamiliar yearning and hate filled his heart. He wanted to grab her and put himself between them, he wanted to take her for himself, he wanted to protect her.

Naruto heard the young woman's silent consent and Kiba's light retreat, with Akamaru by his side. When he was sure they were gone, Naruto slowly pushed himself up off the ground and turned around. His eyes were meet with the site of a terrified young woman huddled against a tree. Her wet black hair sticking to her arms and her dress was frayed and muddy.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto said as he reached out for her.

Hinata backed away, her petite body shaking in fear.

"L-leave me alone. K-kiba w-will b-be b-back s-soon." She stuttered, fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. Naruto stared at her in confusion. He couldn't still be stuck in Sasuke's world, could he? The rain was pouring down again and the sky was pitch black and Hinata was sitting here in front of him, maybe he had found her, maybe she was what he wanted, but why had Kiba been here and why was she so scared of him? A shooting pain ran through his heart as he stared at the terror he was inflicting on Hinata, she looked so helpless. There was a stark difference in the look she gave him now and the one she had given him when he had returned after being gone for three years. When he returned she was warm and happy and the feeling radiating from her had made him feel like he belonged, like he was...but now, now she shivered in fear at the sight of him.

"Hinata, it's me Naruto. Your friend." He tried again, his voice breaking.

Hinata hid behind a tree and held onto her knees. All Naruto could do was stare at the place she had previously occupied. "W-why won't you speak to me Hinata?" Naruto could feel his eyes begin to sting and he told himself it was the rain.

"S-stay a-away from me Naruto." Her voice echoed from behind the tree.

"What's going on?" Kiba growled as he emerged from the woods, Akamaru following close behind.

"Nothing." Naruto answered as he hung his head and closed his eyes, his tears mixing with the rain.

Kiba walked over to the tree where Hinata sat and kneeled down, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay?" He whispered. Hinata whimpered and clung to his jacket, just as she had done before. Kiba held her in quiet frustration as he tried to figure out what had caused this reaction in Hinata, she apparently still wasn't ready to share with him.

"I'm going to take off now." Naruto announced as he stood up.

"You can't take off on your own." Kiba responded without looking away from the young woman in his arms. "You might get caught by Sasuke again."

"What are you talking about, aren't I in his world now?" Naruto questioned as he thought about Hinata's reaction to him.

"No, Shino found you unconscious in the woods. It seems that Sasuke took off when he heard Shino coming, so he sent some of his insects after him and brought you back here. After that Neji and Shino took off to scour the area and figure out where Sasuke and Sakura are hiding out, so we can come up with the best plan to rescue her and I'm in charge of you and Hinata in the meantime." Kiba explained.

Naruto was still confused. "Why would Shino and Neji split from the group? I mean it seems like they are leaving themselves open to an attack by just the two of them going, not to mention you guys."

"Shino and Neji theorize that Sasuke is trying to avoid combat, why they don't know, but it seems he retreats if more than one person is around. We don't know why yet, but that's what we are going off of right now." Kiba let Akamaru take over comforting Hinata as he walked around the tree to face Naruto.

"I know why." Naruto stated.

"You do?" Kiba said in surprise.

"It's because he is too weak to take on more than one person at a time. At least, that's why he told me he was after the Kyuubi, so he could regain enough strength to come back home." Naruto barely whispered. "But that still doesn't explain why Hinata is so afraid of me."

"I can't explain that either." Kiba said as he glanced back at the place his friend sat. "She was like this when we found her, but she wouldn't talk about what happened. Your guess is as good as mine. For now you should sit back and relax until Shino and Neji return. Don't worry about patrolling, Akamaru and I have that covered. We'll go back out in a little bit."

Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgment. Then he turned and made his way over to his own tree and made himself comfortable as Kiba returned to Hinata's side. He could here them whisper to one another and Naruto felt the same hateful feeling toward Kiba that had crept into his heart earlier. Still...if he listened closely, he could make out what they were saying. Curious, Naruto gave into his own selfishness.

"It'll be fine, he's not going to hurt you." He could here Kiba saying.

"I don't want him here, I want him to go away." Naruto heard Hinata. Her voice full of disappointment.

"Hinata, he's our friend, it's Naruto, he would protect all of us with his life." Kiba coaxed.

"He's not that person." Hinata's voice broke. "He's not the person I thought he was, he is selfish and weak. I can't bare to be in presence."

Hinata's words cut Naruto to the core. She was right, he was selfish and weak. He was so selfish, he had been completely blind to her, it had taken the kidnapping of Sakura and the ramblings of Sasuke to show him what everyone else had seen for years and then he had been too weak to help her or Sakura and...Sasuke...Sasuke.

Naruto sat in deep thought long after Kiba and Hinata had quit talking. Eventually, Kiba got to his feet and Akamaru wasted no time taking his place next to Kiba's side. Together they made there way around the tree to perform their patrol duties when Kiba stopped suddenly. Naruto was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Kiba stared at the spot Naruto had been, water filling the impression his body had made in the mud.

"He's gone." He said quietly as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Hinata, before we go after him, I need you to tell me something. I need you to tell me what happened to you before I found you."

Hinata shuddered at Kiba's request and began rocking back and forth, her arms holding her knees tightly.

"I-I can't." The sound barely escaping her lips.

Kiba turned around and looked at his best friend. Her skin was pale and her eyes were red. There wasn't a single scratch upon her body, but it was broken, inside and out. It pained Kiba to see her this way and yet there was nothing he could do. She had to be strong, she had to get through this herself.

"Hinata, look at me." Kiba demanded. "I just have to know one thing." Hinata turned her blood shot eyes to Kiba. Confusion on her face. "Whatever happened to you, did it involve Naruto?" Kiba stuck his hand inside his jacket pocket and clutched the picture in his hand.

Hinata didn't utter a word, she just stared at her friend and meekly nodded her head. Kiba understood, he didn't need Shino to shed light on the truth.

"Hinata, there is something you must understand." Kiba hastily said. "No matter what happened, you cannot stay here, you must follow after Naruto with me and Akamaru. We cannot leave him alone, I understand if you do not want to help him, but for now you're going to have to deal with your grief on your own and hopefully in time, you will realize that Naruto is the guy you thought he was. Until then, I will protect you and your heart." Kiba stared at Hinata waiting for a response as the rain loudly came down, but none came.

Kiba sighed, the rainwater running into his mouth. "Come on Hinata, Akamaru, let's move." Once more, they found themselves moving through the jungle of trees and plants, but this time Kiba knew exactly where they were headed as he followed the fresh footprints in the mud. He didn't need his nose to track his friend in the rain.

The three of them covered the forest at an uncanny speed and soon a giant cave rose into view surrounded by the most lively and beautiful foliage in the whole forest. Kiba stopped as he studied the tracks leading inside, while Hinata and Akamaru waited by his side. His face fell into a disconcerted frown, as Naruto's footprints vanished altogether and were replaced by large paw like tracks. Suddenly, an ear splitting growl erupted from deep within the cave and they all jumped.

"I think Naruto's in here and he may be in trouble." Kiba whispered as he leaped to his feet and lead the way through the mouth of the cave, his hand enclosed over Hinata's as Akamaru ran by his side. They ran for miles and miles, passing long drop offs, and underground lakes, until the path opened into a wide, open area in the heart of the cave. There they didn't find Naruto, but a large fox like creature, with four smokey red tails floating behind it.

Kiba swallowed hard as he watched the Fox Demon swat away one of the stone pillars scattered across the enclosed area. Then he pounced, as if someone was there and he began playing with the imaginary person in his hand. While Kiba examined the fiery beast, something small and brightly colored caught his eyes. It was caught between the toes of the creature, and on top of the flowery object dangled a long black string with a green stone. Kiba bit his lip as the knot in his stomach jumped to his heart.

"Hinata, we need to get out of here." Kiba ordered her, as Akamaru began to shove her back down the unseeing path, but Hinata resisted, watching the massive fox demon destroying his imaginary opponent, and the cave they were in.

"What is that?!" Hinata demanded. "What's wrong with it? Why is it acting funny?"

"I don't know Hinata, but judging from the amount of chakra seeping out of that thing, there's no way we could take it." Kiba replied, while trying to get Hinata to move back toward the entrance. She shoved him off and continued to stare at the four-tailed beast.

"What about Naruto?" Hinata pressed, as rocks began falling from the ceiling. "I thought you said he was in here."

Kiba felt an unfamiliar pain drive through his heart as he looked into Hinata's sweet face. He couldn't tell her the truth, no matter how upset she had been, no matter how much she hated Naruto, she would always care about him, she would always love him and Kiba could never be the one to destroy her, to take her strength away, to take Naruto away. Kiba swallowed hard as he instinctively protected her from the truth.

"He might be, but right now I need to get you out, then we'll send for back up and I'll go back in for him." Kiba closed his eyes as he finished his sentence, he knew there was no going back for Naruto. Hinata took a step forward and Kiba jumped onto Akamaru's back and forced Hinata on too. She let out a loud yell that caught the Fox's attention, as Kiba tried to restrain her.

"We can't stay here Hinata," he yelled, "there is nothing we can do for him right now. We don't know where he is and the cave is collapsing." Just then Akamaru let out a loud yelp, as the fiery, orange demon swatted the ledge they were standing on.

"Go, Akamaru!" Kiba hollered. Akamaru made it through the opening just as the fiery paw of the fox demon came down again and the whole path shook , sending more rocks and rubble tumbling down.

Hinata watched as the creature began to destroy the entrance to the path trying to follow them. If he broke free they would never be able to out run it, or escape it. Hinata's hand went to her necklace. A heavy tug pulled on her heart as she realized her strength was gone, but her guardian was still there. She had to stop letting him protect her, he always protected her, even when shouldn't, when he didn't have to. Now it was her turn to return the favor to him and Akamaru.

"I have to go back." Hinata said, as she gazed back at the fox demon.

"You can't." Kiba ordered. "It's not safe, we can't do anything."

Hinata gazed back at the fox demon as it angrily clawed away at the entrance they had slipped through. Suddenly, the rocks gave way, and the demon took off in pursuit.

"His coming for us." Hinata yelled. "Someone needs to go back to hold him off!" Kiba held onto Hinata tighter, a worried expression on his face.

"Quick Akamaru." Kiba pulled out one of his brown pills and popped inside Akamaru's open mouth. Almost instantly, the pill began to work and Akamaru speed through the crumbling path, passing the underground lake and the long drop offs they had passed by earlier. As they began to approach the mouth of the cave, Hinata pushed herself off of Akamaru's furry back and made her way back inside the cave. "I want to protect you for once Kiba, I'm going back for Naruto and stopping the demon myself!" She hollered back at Kiba, as she was engulfed in darkness. "I'll be fine, just get out of the cave."

Kiba quickly turned Akamaru around and blindly headed back for Hinata when he was blinded by an enormous light of chakra and the cave collapsed in front of him. "NO, HINATA." He cried, his eyes wide in horror. In an instant he was upon the thick wall of rocks, desperately trying to dig through, his eyes more feral than they had been before and his mouth foaming in rage.

"Kiba, what's going on?" The calculating voice of Neji came from behind him.

Kiba turned on all fours to face his teamates, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Hinata's in there." He growled between clenched teeth. "With a Fox Demon."

"I'll send for help." Shino said as a small swarm of insects took off in the direction of Konoha.

"Kiba, you should step back." Neji instructed his distraught teammate. Kiba did as he was told and Neji took his eight trigrams sixty four palms stance, but before he could execute the attack, there was another blinding light and the rocks blew out everywhere, sending Akamaru and the three ninja flying, knocking Shino and Neji unconscious. Kiba was blown outside the cave completely and before he lost consciousness, his eyes fell upon a bright purple flower, growing along the sides and top of the cave. With his last effort, he reached out for the beautiful flower and clasped his hand around it.

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The light from the window shone down on Naruto as he lay in the hospital bed. Images from the night before began swirling through his mind as he tried to make sense of the hazy confusion. He remembered walking away from Kiba and Hinata, and he had found a pretty flower. He picked it. He was going to give it to Hinata because Hinata had been...afraid of him...she had feared him, but then, then Sasuke had appeared again and this time he had Sakura.

Naruto remembered trying to get to her to save her, but Sasuke stopped him. Naruto remembered yelling out at him in the cave, wondering why he needed the fox demon's power if he was already so strong. Sasuke replied then that he wasn't, that he only had the power to make two people see and feel what he wanted using his special power and beyond that he was useless. The only way he could get stronger was through Naruto, but he didn't have the power to take it by force, Naruto would have to go to him, if he ever wanted to see Sakura again. Then Sasuke stabbed Sakura through the arm, causing her to writhe in pain and he made her disappear. Naruto remembered losing control then, but he couldn't remember anything after that. He had no idea how he had arrived back in Konoha or how he had come to be in a hospital bed.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked around. He was all alone, the visitor's chair next to his white bed was empty and the normal shuffle of nurses working couldn't be heard. Naruto sighed and turned his head toward the window sill. Instantly, a small smile spread across his face. There sat the purple flower he had picked the night before in a small clear vase. Naruto laid in bed staring up at the beautiful plant. Then a thought crossed his mind. Quickly, he jumped out of bed, grabbed the flower off the window sill and ran down the white hall to the receptionists desk.

The receptionist was a young girl, about Naruto's age and she had short auburn hair and wore a pair of black glasses. She gave Naruto a nervous look and quickly began to ruffle through the papers on her desk. "Y-you need to go back to you room and rest." She said in an unsure voice.

Her timid air only made Naruto smile as he thought of the flower in his hand. "I will, but first, I was wondering if Hinata Hyuga had been here to see me?" Naruto asked, his insides feeling as nervous as the girl had sounded.

"No, she hasn't." The girl answered quietly.

"Oh." Naruto sighed, his chipper mood swiftly dampened.

"But," the girl quickly added. "I'm not supppose to tell you this, but there is a Hinata Hyuga in room 308 on this floor."

Naruto turned around to thank the girl, but she quickly looked down and began ruffling through her papers again. Naruto hurried down the hall once more, counting the numbers as he went. When he finally came to room 308 he turned to go through the door and quickly stopped. Kiba, Neji, and Shino were all circled around her and her eyes weren't open. Naruto could clearly see the burn marks running up and down her arms and upon her cheeks.

Naruto pressed himself up against the wall and stared at the flower in his hand, his heart overcome with grief. He wished he could remember what had happened, but he couldn't. As Naruto stood outside Hinata's room, he could hear Kiba, Shino and Neji whispering. He strained his ears so he could make out what the were saying.

"How long will she be in a coma?" Kiba asked, the emotion in his voice causing it to crack.

"Tsunade didn't know." Shino clinically replied.

"This is all my fault." Neji's voice interrupted the others. "I knew she wasn't ready to use that technique, I shouldn't have trained her, but I was the one that convinced Hiashi in the beginning. After I had trained with her for awhile, I tried to tell him that she wasn't ready that she was too weak still, but he wouldn't listen, he wanted to believe his daughter was strong after all. I put his pride before her well being."

"There was no way you could know this would happen." Shino advised Neji. "The chances of her running into a Fox Demon were slim to begin with. Even you Neji couldn't see that coming."

"No, it was my fault, I should have done a better job of protecting her, I had been the one with her." Kiba chimed in. Naruto could hear the tears in words.

Naruto closed his eyes and allowed a tear to slip away, as he pushed himself away from the wall and headed back down the hall, his footsteps heavy and burdened. He knew it wasn't any of their faults, only his own.

Naruto made it back to his room and set the flower back on the window sill and fell asleep. His thoughts haunting his mind.

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Naruto opened his eyes, the shadows of the night decorating his hospital room. Everything that had happened had been a nightmare. Nothing had gone right, Sakura had been kidnapped, Sasuke was after Naruto and Hinata...Hinata...

At the thought of her name Naruto instantly looked for the flower sitting on the window. He knew he shouldn't, that he had no right to, but he had to do it anyway. He grabbed the flower once more and crept down the long dark hall of the hospital until he reached the room he was looking for. He hesitated outside the door for a moment and then quietly let himself in.

Naruto sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed and forced himself to look at Hinata's maimed face. Tears began to form in his eyes as he examined every burn and every scratch that matched his own. Even though she was so mutilated, she was still Hinata. She was still beautiful, she was still peaceful, she still felt like the place he belonged.

Naruto gently caressed Hinata's cheek as he cried openly.

"Hinata," he whispered, "I know I don't belong here, but I came to say I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I never meant for you to get hurt, but you I hurt you anyway." Naruto paused, as the tears he had suppressed earlier poured down his cheeks. Blindly, he searched for Hinata's hand and took it in his own.

"I-I f-feel so a-alone Hinata." Naruto continued. "Sasuke's made off with Sakura and the only way I can get her back is if I freely give him the Kyuubi's power. I wish you were here so that I could talk to you. A-after your words in the woods, I-I felt weak. I-I wanted to make you believe in me, I wanted to make you happy. I-instead, a-all I've done is hurt you even more. I-I'm so sorry Hinata. I-I'm s-sorry th-that I didn't know what I want, th-that I'm so confused, b-but I k-know this definitely isn't what I want." Naruto looked down at the flower in his hand and placed it on the window next to Hinata. "I-I picked this for you, I-I know it doesn't make anything better, b-but I hope it's good for something. Y-you have no idea how alone I am, how weak. I-I need a friend. Please w-wake up s-soon."

Naruto continued to hold Hinata's hand long after he had finished speaking and sleep had taken over his mind. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten that he finally broke his hand away and snuck back down the hall to his own room, but not before he promised to visit her again the following night.

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A/N: Sorry this took so long to post, please review the NaruHina one shot I did called changes and let me know what you think. Oh and I appreciate reviews. Thanks.


	13. Chapter 13

Kiba watched Hinata's lifeless face as he gently massaged her tiny fingers. Her cheeks were deathly pale and her body was much colder than normal. His only solace was found in the evenly spaced sounds of the heart monitor.

Kiba observed his friends chest feintly move up and down, and his thoughts wandered to that night. There had been such a change in her. A determination in her voice he had never heard before. They had been moving so quickly, and she had jumped so suddenly, he didn't have time to stop her, to help her, to protect her. Kiba's eyes began to water as the last thought crossed his mind and he studied the deep, hideous burn marks that now lined every inch of his friends body.

"Hinata" Kiba breathed. "What happened to you in there?"

Slowly, he reached out with his other hand and gently caressed her angelic face. Through his teary eyes, the rays from the sun encircled her, encasing her body in a holy glow. As Kiba watched his Angel, his face began to harden and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Why?" He growled as his hand tightly gripped the white linen sheets by her long, ebony hair. "Why Hinata? Why couldn't you wait for me? Why couldn't you just let me take care of you?"

Kiba winced as the virginal rays ricocheted off the top of the silver locket clasped around Hinata's long, elegant neck and into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. He blinked and shook his head. "The damn sun." He chuckled. "I'll shut the blinds for you."

As Kiba reached for the faded blue blinds, his eye caught something bright and plant like. His hand lingered over Hinata, as he meticulously examined the vibrant pink flower sitting before him on the windowsill. His heart stopped momentarily as he forgot to breath. Then, he pulled the blinds and plastered a smile on his face, even though Hinata could not see him.

"I see you've had a visitor since I was here last ." The thought ripping through his chest, as memories of Hinata rocking back and forth in the rain, torn and distraught, flooded his mind. Damn Sasuke, that deserting bastard, Kiba clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"I guess it wouldn't have mattered if I had been in there with you." Kiba mused with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I probably wouldn't have been able to protect you anyway, just I like didn't protect you from him. I don't deserve to be anything more than your friend." He stated in shame, as he he closed his eyes and drew close to Hinata's lifeless face. "I'll make this up to you Hinata, I won't fail the promise I made to you in the woods. I will protect your heart and your strength until the day I no longer breath." He gently kissed the top of her head, lingering longer than a friend should, and sealing his oath with a bond stronger than blood.

Silently he gave her hand one last squeeze and promptly turned and walked out the door, allowing his emotions control over his reserved heart as his body crumpled into a ball against the hard floor.

He laid outside of Hinata's room for sometime, his heart in bitter agony, before he finally grabbed hold of himself. He still had tasks that needed to be tended to and people to see. Reluctantly, he removed himself from the cold hospital floor and pulled himself together.

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Naruto stared up at the ceiling. His open smile replaced by tight lips and sad eyes. The conversation he'd just had with the young doctor running through his mind. A week, he thought, a whole week he'd be cooped up in this tiny hospital room. He turned his attention to the light burns that now graced his arms. He was almost healed, there was no reason for him to stay after today, especially now, Sasuke was still running loose and Sakura was still missing. He couldn't afford to lose any time. He had to go back out there. Damn Tsunade.

Naruto's mind began to slow down as he thought about the Uchihia's sinister eyes and the ominous feeling emanating from them. They weren't the same eyes he had remembered from before, and when he had told Naruto to come after him alone, to give him the Kyuubi's power, Sasuke's eyes had flashed the familiar blood red that marked the Uchihia clans eyes, but there was something darker, more evil surrounding these blood lusting eyes.

Naruto began nawing on the inside of his lip as he wondered about what he should do. If he went, he would risk destroying the village, if he didn't he would risk Sakura's life, as well as Sasuke's and maybe even the village. If he gathered a squad, than perhaps they could save Sakura, but if Sasuke was caught, not only would he be a missing nin, he would also be charged with kidnapping and attacking the village. Also, if the mission went bad, he would be risking the lives of his fellow comrades. He'd already seen the consequences of that with Hinata and his eyes stung at the thought of her lying unconcious in her hospital bed, the picture of death.

He could see her face clearly in his mind and turned his head to the window, it would be hours before night came and the normal hustle of the hospital would slow down. He yearned to be next to her again, to confide in her, even if she couldn't respond back. He needed her to listen to him again. It was selfish and he knew it, but he needed someone to speak to now, someone who would make him feel better and give him the strength he needed.

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of light footsteps shuffling down the hall. His heart jumped within his chest and stared at the door in anticipation, as the footsteps grew nearer.

When the person finally appeared in the doorway, Naruto let out a disappointed sigh and went back to staring blankly at the ceiling.

"So you've been in to see Hinata?" Kiba's familiar voice broke the silence.

"Yeah." Naruto said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How did you know?"

Kiba flashed him a knowing glance accompanied by a satisfied smile.

"Your scent, remember?" It wasn't the truth, but Kiba decided it would be best to spare Naruto and him the embarrassment.

"Oh," Naruto responded sheepishly and then shot Kiba an inquisitive look. "Why are you here Kiba?"

Kiba leaned nonchalantly against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Tsunade sent me to fill you in on the results of our mission." Kiba paused and licked his lips before proceeding. "She wanted to me to inform you our mission was a failure. We failed to bring Sakura home and Neji and Shino lost Sasuke's trail. As of now, we have no leads on there whereabouts and Hinata has been severly injured. Tsunade has already formed a team to go after Sasuke and Sakura. It will be you, me, Shino, Neji and Shikamaru." At the mention of Shikamaru's name, a smirk crossed Kiba's full lips and a small chortle escaped his mouth. "Shino was a little annoyed with the last person. You should have heard him complaining about being just as capable and analytical as Shikamaru. He's still bitter about not getting the chance to fight in the last part of the Chuunin exams and Shikamaru's promotion over the rest of us."

A slight smile appeared on Naruto's face as he thought about the silent and unknown rivilary between the quietest nin in the village and the laziest, but soon the thought disappeared as the rest of Kiba's report sunk in.

Kiba acknolwedged the blond's thoughtful expression and continued on with his report. "Tsunade wants us to go back out in a week. Despite the severity of your wounds, she believes you will be healed enough to take on a mission." Kiba studied the burn marks along Naruto's arms with an inquisitive stare. "Of course," he said with a raised eyebrow. "It seems that your injuries aren't as severe as they had looked, even though you and Hinata both encountered the same beast."

Instinctively, Naruto hid the barely there markings on his arm underneath his blankets. "Yeah, well...um....." Naruto unconciously rubbed the back of his head as he desperately tried to come up with an explanation. He couldn't tell Kiba that he was the beast they had encountered, that he was the reason Hinata's body had been so devestated. He shivered as the last thought crossed his mind, but Kiba didn't seem to notice.

"Anyway," Kiba said pushing aside the suspicious feeling that had emerged from somewhere deep within him. "Tsunade wants you to report directly to her after you are realesed from the hospital. By then, we should have a plan and some more information." Kiba turned to walk out the hospital door and hesitated in mid-stride. "Uh...don't hurt her." He said softly, before he vanished from sight.

Naruto stared at the empty doorway in confusion. Kiba had given him a lot to think about, but the last statement he had made seemed to stick with Naruto throughout the rest of the day. He couldn't figure out who he was talking about, but it reminded him of the cryptic message Shino had given him the night Sakura had disappeared and Hinata had gone after them on her own. Apparently Kiba had been spending too much time with Shino, he was starting to rub off on the guy.

Naruto went back to staring at the blank ceiling, allowing his mind to run wild once again. He was so deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice when he had left the living world behind and entered the world of dreams, where everything he was worried about, everything he was afraid of, took on substance. He lept fitfully at best. He was chasing after Sasuke and Sakura appeared in front of him, contempt smeared on her face. "I willingly left with Sasuke." She sneered. "You were never good enough for me, he was always stronger, smarter, better." She stabbed him with every word and suddenly he was the nine tails. He was out of control with rage and Hinata appeared. She opened her arms wide and hugged his firey chest, as he beat and battered her with his paws. She refused to let go and looked up at him with sad eyes. "Naruto, come back." She cried. "I know you're in there, please come back to me. The village needs you, Sakura needs you...I need you." He hit her once more, irritated by her concern, by her tenderness, by her love and he looked at her lifeless body on the ground. Suddenly he wasn't the nine-tailed beast anymore, he was just Naruto. There was a girl dressed in white lying in front of him, but he couldn't see her face. Kiba appeared before him, his arms crossed and hate lining his feral face. "I told you not to hurt her." He snarled, as he suddenly lunged at Naruto. The blond ninja just stood there in shock as his friend sliced him half with a Kunai.

Naruto desperately sat up in his bed, his breath heavy and shallow. His forehead and back were covered in sweat and his heart raced within his chest. He curled his legs up toward his chest and clung to his knees like a child. He silently cried as the moonlight flooded his room. He couldn't save anyone. He had let everyone down, Sakura, Sasuke...Hinata. At the thought of her name, he suddenly realized the darkness that surrounded him. Quietly, he pulled himself out of bed and snuck down the hallway. He needed to talk to someone, he needed to see her.

Hesitantly, he opened the door to her room and took his place next to her bed, just as he had the night before. He meticulously surveyed the way the moon light hit her and the delicate way her dark hair framed her face. Naruto stared out the window up at the stars. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. As he stared up at the stars, his mind wandered to the day he had returned, he ran into Hinata. He was trying to hide from everyone, he had been scared and she made him feel welcomed and as if he had been missed, but most of all he remembered how beautiful she had looked. She had changed so much in the time he'd been gone, he didn't even recognize her, and yet she was still the same.

Naruto, looked back down at her, searching for the same beauty he had seen. Naruto studied the softness in her cheeks, the way her eyelashes brushed the top of her skin and her full, delicate lips. Slowly, his eyes wondered down her long neck and the memories of him watching her delicately eat her ramen came flooding back. She looked so intoxicating in that dress, and yet, still modest and shy.

Suddenly, the memory of her telling Kiba those things in the woods flooded his mind, and a sharp pain crossed his heart. Quickly he stared back up at the two stars looking down at them and Naruto leaned over, taking her hand in his.

"Hinata," he whsipered, not taking his eyes off of the two celestial bodies. "I returned, like I promised." He chanced at glance at her, nothing. Still he continued. "Do you like to look at the stars?" He paused for a moment, although he expected no answer. "I do." He continued. "When I would look up at the stars, I used to see Sakura's face, and I felt as if she was watching over me, but I can't find her face anymore. Still, I feel as though someone is watching over me, protecting me, but I can't figure out who." He looked down at her face again. "I wish you could see this too." He gave her hand a small squeeze and sat there in silence for awhile. Alternating his gaze from the window to Hinata's peaceful face.

He thought about her words in the woods as he sat next to her in his relverie, and he felt a strong need to address this, even though she couldn't hear him. "You know Hinata," He began absently. "About what you said in the woods, I want you to know that it's true. I am selfish, I"m not the person you thought I was. It took a traitor to the village to show me what everyone else knew all along. I was so caught in trying to prove to everyone that I was worth something that I completely looked over the one person who already thought I was. I only noticed you when I was alone, and needed support. You were always there when I truly needed it, and I didn't even notice you when anyone else was around. I don't deserve to be your friend, but I promise you, when you get out of this, things will be different, I'll be the best friend you've ever had."

Then Naruto was silent for a moment. "You know," He said with a light laugh. "I lost my sweater that day when I returned from training and I ran into you. I must have left it at the training ground, burt when I went back to look for it, I coudn't find it anywhere."

As he stared at her emotionless face, Naruto swore he saw a slight blush appear on her cheeks and vanish just as quickly. He didn't know why, but heart jumped a little at the idea that maybe, just maybe she really could hear him.

He gave her a giant grin and gently rubbed her hand. Now he thought, if only she could help me figure out what I should do. His heart dropped like a weight as he remembered his dream. He gazed at her face some more hoping he would see some sign of life again, but to no avail. So he took solice just in the fact she was there and for some reason that made him feel better. He continued smiling at the comatose girl laying in the hospital bed and softly whispered "I'm glad you're my friend." Then he laid back in his chair, his hand still clasped around hers and relaxed, basking in the feeling of belonging. Before he drifted off to sleep, Naruto opened his mouth once more. "You know Hinata, you become more beautiful every time I look at you." He softly breathed. Then he allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness, his hand never letting go of Hinata's.

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A/N: Hope you like it, please review.


	14. Chapter 14

The sun broke through the open window and a light breeze caused the faded curtains to sway gently inside the glistening white room. Kiba stood in the doorway, his eyes burning to let go of the emotion he was holding back and his heart screaming to escape the engulfing flames of the painful fire within his chest. He was sick with jealousy at the sight before him, and he clutched his heart in agony.

Slowly he made his way over to the blond male, still sleeping in the chair next to the beautiful black haired angel in the hospital bed beside him, clutching her hand in his own. Emotions he didn't even recognize raging inside his fragile body. Kiba bit his bottom lip, keeping the water threatening to spill over his eyes from flowing and lightly laid his tanned hand on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto's eyes lightly fluttered, and soon his sleepy blue eyes meet with a pair of sad brown ones. "Kiba!" Naruto flushed and sat up uncomfortably, moving Hinata's dead arm in his hand. Nervously he looked down at the unfamiliar weight, a crisp red seeping across his face as he quickly let go of the unconscious girls hand. "I-I was just leaving." He stuttered as he clumsily tripped over the leg of the chair trying to escape the embarrassment lingering in the room. Kiba ignored his friends reaction and continued to quietly stare at the girl lying in the hospital bed.

He didn't even look to make sure Naruto had exited the room before he took a seat, not in the chair, but on the bed next to his friend. His dark eyes never leaving her face. Slowly he leaned over her brushing her dark strands aside to reveal her perfectly flawed features. Her skin was too white, while her hair was too dark. Together they should have left her looking pale and dead, but instead they made her face pop and when she was awake, they made her eyes look alive. Kiba longed to see her white, lavender eyes once more as he slowly caressed her cheek. He thought about all the times he had caught those same eyes watching that same blue eyed, yellow haired shinobi he had just ran into, and how he had longed she would one day look at him the same way and now...now...he thought as his mind flashed back to the image of Naruto's hand securely wrapped around Hinata's.

"I can't do this anymore." He quietly whispered, a tear staining her white face. "I can't take it...I can't..." Kiba's voice broke, his hand searching for hers. "I thought I could step aside, I thought I could help you, as long as it was what you wanted. I thought I could take just being your friend, the person who would always be there for you, the one you could always count on to catch you...but...the truth is...I want to be the only one to catch you." Kiba swallowed hard, one hand grasped tightly around her's and the other running through her long, silky hair. "Please Hinata, I need you to wake up." Slowly, he bent down, his eyes closed, his palms sweaty and his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Blindly, he carefully searched for her, the anticipation swelling inside him. Suddenly, a cool sensation ran through his body, as he gently pressed his warms lips against hers and a pleasant rush of emotions washed over his body.

Reluctantly he broke away, his face hovering inches from her's. He stared at her in silence before lightly nuzzling her nose with his. Then he turned to stare at his hands intertwined with her's. His heart skipped and he knew this was how it was supposed to be, where he was supposed to be. Leaning in for another stolen kiss, Kiba stopped himself, gazing longingly at Hinata's closed eyelids. Hesitantly, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small heart shaped picture. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he opened the heart shaped locket lying weightlessly on her neck and placed the tiny photo inside and closed the silver locket.

Then Kiba leaned in once more, and softly placed a kiss on her forehead and pulled away, bringing his nose to her's once more. "I love you." He breathed, as the tears freely rolled down his cheeks and he stole one last kiss. Kiba gently squeezed her hand once more, before making his way out of the bright hospital room and down the hall.

Hinata's finger twitched slightly, as she furrowed her delicate brow from the effort. "K-Kiba." She whispered softly, before losing consciousness.

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Hinata's consciousness swam through a dark sea of nothingness as she floated further into the empty abyss of her mind. Every once in awhile, she would feel a slight twinge, almost as if she was being touched. Then, normally some sounds would follow, she thought they were voices, but she wasn't sure, the sounds were to muffled and too distant for her be sure, but Hinata didn't care. She continued to gently drift along, unchained from her gilded prison and paralyzing emotions. She was at peace, free to relax and to just exist. She floated through her mind, content with the emptiness that surrounded her and filled her.

Suddenly, she heard a voice, far away and lonely and she felt the distinct feeling of water drops on her ivory skin. Suddenly, the vast emptiness that had filled her was replaced by an overwhelming wave of concern. The voice seemed so familiar, but yet inaudible. It was strangely comforting and pulled on her heart. The sadness was more than she could bare, desperately she tried to swim closer to the sound, straining her ears. Then, she felt a light brush against her hand, then her nose and finally her lips. I have to go back, she thought, I can't turn my back on myself on my friends. She swam faster and harder than she had before toward the direction the voice came from. Suddenly everything went silent and panic consumed her. Was she heading in the right direction, or was she swimming further away from her friends, her happiness, her life. Then she heard a familiar voice, filled with a sorrow, love and a yearning she had never heard before. The words "I love you" echoed through her head as she desperately tried to make her way to the surface. Finally, she felt her finger break through the surface as she forced her head out too. Then, as if someone was pulling her down, Hinata felt herself being sucked back under. Before the darkness reclaimed her, she screamed for him, for her protector. Kiba's name was swallowed by the darkness as Hinata's head was pulled under and she went back to floating aimlessly through the darkness of her mind, but instead of the content emptiness she had felt before, her heart was now filled with panic and worry as she desperately struggled against the suffocating prison of freedom in her mind, losing her fight for consciousness.

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Hinata looked around, she was still floating through the dark sea with no sense of how much time had passed. Her mind replaying the voice inside her head. "I love you." The words repeating over and over again like a broken record. She couldn't give up, she had to be strong. Her friends needed her, Naruto needed her, Kiba needed her. Once again she began swimming against the current of her mind, her determination carrying her through the tides blocking her way. She wouldn't give up this time, she would find her way back. Suddenly, her hand hit something hard, like ice. Her eyes went wide as she realized that it was blocking her way out. The all too familiar feeling of defeat creeping through her. She was trapped with no way out. Too weak to take care of herself, just like always.

Then those three words played through her head again. "I love you." "I love you." "I love you." Suddenly Hinata furrowed her brow in concentration. Someone believed in her, someone cared about her, someone loved her. Hinata channeled her chakra to her hands. I can do this, she thought, I am strong enough. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she swiftly ran her glowing blue hand into the clear ice above.

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The air was cold and froze her lungs as she gasped for air. She laid there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, her heart racing from the effort she had exerted.

"So you're awake." An emotionless voice came from the end of the bed.

Hinata tried to open her eyelids, but was meet with resistance. Frustrated, she took a deep breath and bit her lip as she forced open her heavy eyelids. Her hazy white eyes were meet with the dark sunglasses of her quiet bug wielding teammate.

"W-where's Kiba?" Her voice cracked.

"He's not here right now. He came by this morning." Shino stated as he shifted slightly against the wall, his long jacket covering his mysterious face.

"Oh." Was all Hinata managed as her eyes fell to plain hospital sheets her hands had subconsciously begun playing with on the bed.

Shino raised an eyebrow and studied his teammate before speaking.

"He'll be back, we've been taking shifts watching over you. It was...it was his idea." Shino hesitated, uncertain of what he was doing.

"Really?" A slight smile appearing on her pale face. Shino watched intently as a quick light flashed through the cloudy whites of her eyes and faded just as fast. He had seen it before in longer spurts, but it was the same, there was no doubting it.

Shino gave her an invisible smile. "I'm sure he'll be back to see you again soon. In a few days him and I will be going back with Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto now that his wounds have healed. We weren't suppose to leave for another three days, but the hokage decided to move up the mission date because Naruto healed faster than expected. Now we'll be leaving the day after tomorrow."

At the mention of Naruto's name, Hinata's eyes began to swell with water and her cheeks went red from embarrassment. She remembered the terrible words she had said in the woods, after her encounter with the mind jutsu. The jutsu had been so clear, so real. She had been so confused, so shaken up. She remembered cringing away from his presence, feeling scared of him and vulnerable. Kiba had tried to comfort her, to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen.

Shino observed her in her quiet solitude watching her expression change from embarrassment, to shame and confusion.

"He has been here to see you too." Shino said, reading her mind from a distance.

Hinata glanced up at her friend, surprise outlining her soft face. "W-what?"

"Naruto, he's been here to see you." Shino repeated. "Kiba told me he's been here everyday, checking on you, making sure you're okay."

"H-he has?" Hinata felt the heat rise to her cheeks and looked down once more, trying to hide the emotion she freely wore.

"Yes, that's what comrades do you know." Shino continued. "They look out for one another."

Hinata's eyes began to feel heavy once more, but she pushed the feeling aside. "Do they have any clues Sasuke's whereabouts?"

"As of yet, we have no leads." Shino said, his head downcast in shame.

"Oh, s-sorry." Hinata stammered, afraid she had upset her teammate.

"Don't worry about it, I should have been more aware of my surroundings." Hinata wasn't sure, but she thought she could Shino's eyes look at her over the top of his dark glasses, and an emotion shot through them she couldn't quite put her finger on. Confused, Hinata let the moment go.

"Don't worry, it won't happen again, this time he won't get away." The clinical way he said, as if he were about to stamp the last page of paper work on his desk sent shivers up her spine, and for a moment Hinata didn't recognize her dark haired friend. She watched as he casually glanced at his watch and stiffly bowed at her at the foot of her bed.

"I am sorry to be leaving so soon, but I am late...for a training session with my father." Shino's voice shook nervously and Hinata gave him an inquiring look, but he never noticed as he left her hospital room in haste.

How odd Hinata thougth as she stared at the open door to her room. Then she shrugged her shoulders and turned toward the window in her room. It was then a pink blur caught her eye and she picked herself back up to examine the strange object decorating the window sill in her room. Carefully she picked the large flower out of the vase that contained it and meticulously examined every thorn, and every petal. The flower seemed oddly familiar, but somehow she couldn't place it.

She laid back down with the pink token placed securely between her fingers. She watched the pretty leaves as she gracefully twirled the flower in hands and gradually gave into the soft call of sleep deep within her mind. As she drifted off, images of the pretty spectacle filled her thoughts as she loosely clung to the flower close to her breast.

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Finally, Naruto thought as he watched the bright lights up in the midnight sky. The sounds of the hospital had slowed down for the day once again and the lights on the floor had dimmed. Quickly Naruto jumped out of bed to make his nightly stroll down the hall. Today had been especially hard and he needed to see her again, just for a little bit. His cheeks went slightly red as the memories from this morning crept into his mind.

He forced those thoughts out of his mind and focused on the issues that were bothering him most. Thoughts of Sakura and Sasuke had been running in his mind and he felt even more confused about what to do. Even if she couldn't talk back, she always seemed to make him feel better.

Eagerly he made his way down the hall and hesitated in the doorway, just as he always did, before entering. I'm not going to stay too long tonight. He reminded himself. Silently he made his way to the deflated hospital chair next to her bed and sat down beside her. He studied her silent somber for a moment, noting the way her face always seemed so peaceful.

Almost instantly, his insides began to calm down and his mind began to clear. Happily her reached for her white hand and unconsciously began drawing tiny circle on along her skin with his thumb.

"Hinata." He silently whispered with a smile. Suddenly, the smile on his face faded as the pink flower in her other hand began to move over the top of her head and her eyelids began to flutter. Damn it, how had he missed that? Then the next thing he knew he was staring into a pair of light hazy eyes.

"N-naruto?" A sweat groggy voice broke the silence, as Naruto froze in his seat, his face hot and his hand interlocked with hers.

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A/N: Sorry if the story is moving too slow, please review. Thanks.


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto stared into Hinata's face. His mind blank with fear. Nervously he began rubbing the back of his head with his free hand and smiling widely.

"O-oh, y-your awake Hinata. I-I mean your o-okay. I-I was just c-checking in on you. S-since y-your fine I-I'll just be leaving now." Naruto let Hinata's hand fall as he clumsily backed out of the dimly lit hospital room.

Hinata impassively watched as the young man before her stumbled over the back leg of the hospital chair and tried to ungracefully regain his composure as he backed out of the room, his hand still glued behind his neck and loud smile still plastered on his face. The moment he reached the doorway and turned to make his escape down the hall, he was stopped by a tiny voice.

"P-please, don't go." Hinata squeaked. She felt the heat rise to her face and her chest fill with conflicting emotions, embarrassment, yearning, fright. The most prominent feeling was the familiar pulling on her heart. It bullied it's way to the forefront pushing aside any other emotions that dared to stand in its way, causing them to fade in the background. Hinata grabbed for her necklace and for a moment she regretted her interference in the blond man's departure.

"What?" Naruto turned around to face her, his stunned blue eyes piercing through her own lavender ones.

"I-I need to s-speak with you." She stammered, the confusion inside her growing as memories from the forest raced through her mind. A deep pain resonated inside her at thought of the words she had so ungraciously uttered and for some reason she just couldn't shake Kiba from her mind.

"U-ummm, okay." Naruto hesitantly agreed. He could feel the perspiration forming upon the top of his sunny head and he nervously twiddled his thumbs as he made his way back inside the stuffy little room. As he took the seat next to the hospital bed once more, he was thankful for the moon and the vast amount of darkness it allowed. Hinata's eyes could not make out his own terrified features, but as she lifted her eyes to his, he was taken aback at they way they seemed to shine in the dark shadows of the room.

Sakura's eyes flashed through his mind and Naruto felt a small twinge in his heart, as if he were betraying her in some way. He thought about the way her emerald green eyes had always sparkled majestically in the rays of the sun and always looked so alive. He could clearly read every expression every thought that touched the edges of her beautiful iris's, but at night, her eyes lost all trace of the lively vigor that resonated from them during the day, but there was something different, something more enchanting about Hinata's crystal like orbs. He stared deeper into the entrancing vastness of her white lavender eyes, studying the way he could see everything and nothing at the same time. The way the warm light called him in from the dark, dispelling any doubt, without answering any questions. He could stay there forever, just staring at those eyes, the ones that seemed so familiar, and yet so new.

Naruto was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice the deep crimson that now graced Hinata's usually pale cheeks. She squirmed uncomfortably under the scrutiny of his intense gaze and unceremoniously tore her eyes away.

"N-naruto." She quietly began as she intently stared down at the flower she was twirling in her hand. "I-I wanted to apologize to you about the way I behaved in the woods. I-I didn't really mean any of those hurtful things I had said. I-I know that you're a kind and caring person. Y-your one of the most unselfish people know. I-it was just that I was so...I was so shaken up..." Hinata began to tremble as she choked on her words. Naruto wrapped his tense arms around the small girls shoulders and pulled her into his chest.

"Sshh." He said as he lovingly patted her on the back. "It's okay, I understand. We were all pretty shaken up that night." He said soothingly as Sakura's face ran through his mind once again accompanied by the same nagging feeling he felt before.

Hinata allowed him to envelope her in his strong arms and let her head fall onto the hardness of his chest. She closed her eyes as she allowed his scent, his voice and the warmth of his body to sooth her. Her heart beat rapidly as she realized how close she was to her blond shinobi, and almost instantly she heard a faint voice in her head whisper "I love you," as her mind returned to the dark woods and the wetness of Kiba's chest against her frozen cheek.

Swiftly she pulled herself away from Naruto's comforting embrace and stared out the window.

"I-t's hot in here." She muttered as she fanned herself with her hands.

Naruto followed Hinata's gaze out the window and looked up at the dark sky. His eyes automatically sorted through the millions of sparkling dots until he found the two he was looking for. As he stared up at the two magnificent lights, he gave a slight smile as he thought about Hinata's eyes. Then, he had an idea.

"Hinata." Naruto whispered as he bit his lip. Instantly her glorious eyes meet his and the moment they locked he could feel his head reeling. "You wanna get out of her?" He asked with a wry smile on his face.

"W-what do you mean?" Hinata asked, a confused look on her face.

"I promise I'll have you back before anyone notices we're missing." Naruto said as he scooped Hinata up into his arms, and jumped out the window without waiting for a response. Naruto ran eagerly through the barely lit streets of Konoha, allowing the cool wind to whip through Hinata's cascading black hair. He ran by building after dark building until the dirt streets opened up and gave way to huge bustling trees. Naruto slowed down, as he entered the green bushes of the circular park and didn't stop until he found a white marble bench sitting beneath the large sweeping branches of an ancient oak tree. Here Naruto finally came to a halt and gently sat Hinata down onto the inviting park bench.

"W-why are we here?" Hinata asked after a long moment of silence. Naruto didn't answer as he turned toward Hinata and gently picked the pink flower she was twirling out of her hand. Gently he brushed her dark hair back behind her ear and pinned the flower against the weight of her hair and her ear. Silently he sat back and admired his handy work, as the blackness of her hair and the whitness of her skin caused the flower to glow and made her eyes sparkle with a pink tint. At the sight of the pink coloring, Naruto pulled back, clasping his hands together as he stared at the ground.

Hinata felt a small pain at the small gesture, causing her heart to reminisce to just a few days before, when Naruto returned. Hinata shook her head free of her thoughts and placed her over the flower sitting prettily against her dull features.

"I picked that for you when I went missing." Naruto's voice broke through the crisp night air. Hinata's eyes opened wide at his words a warms wave ran over her body.

"What?" She asked in disbelief.

"It was a an apology flower, for being so wrapped up in myself and what's important to me." He took a deep breath and looked straight up at the sky. He's eyes scanning it only for second before ceasing to move at all. Hinata just watched the outline of his light spikey hair, cute nose and lips and masculine chin and neck against the night sky, patiently waiting for him to speak again.

"I like to stare at the sky when I'm feeling lost...when I'm feeling lonely." He confided in her. "I-I thought that you could sit here with me Hinata."

Not for the first time, Hinata felt overwhelmed by the gesture, her fluttered in her chest and her breathing became more rapid. She had to speak, she needed to speak.

"W-why d-do you feel s-so l-lost?" Hinata forced the words out. Unconsciously wiping her hands along the top of her white legs.

"I-I've just been so confused lately." Naruto said as he continued to look up at the stars.

Kiba's face crossed Hinata's mind and she desperately wanted to reach out for Naruto's rough hands.

"E-everyone is confused." Hinata mustered. "N-no one t-truly knows w-what they want or n-need t-to d-do. Y-you are not a-alone in that Naruto."

Naruto continued to gaze at the two shining stars as he thought about Hinata's words. "Do you see those two stars?'' He asked.

Hinata's eyes followed the line his finger created and held her breath as the beauty of the double lights hit her.

Naruto gave her a satisfied smile as he watched her reaction. "They are beautiful aren't they? I love to search for them, to find them out. They are like an old friend to me. The first time I saw them, they were unimpressive, in fact I didn't even notice them. Then, when I was gone for three years, someone pointed them out to me and he told me that he always looks for them when he is lonely, that was the first time I had ever truly given them a second look, even though they had always been there and since then I always find myself searching them out. It's just like me though, not seeing what's in front me and needing someone else to point it out to me, and now every time I gaze at them, they become more beautiful to me."

Hinata blushed as Naruto looked at her as he spoke the last words.

"I have to make a decision." Naruto urgently shot out the words, causing Hinata to jump. "In order to save Sakura, Sasuke wants me to come after him alone, so I can give him the Kyuubi's power, but if I do that, then I may be putting Konoha in danger, but I don't I will be pointlessly risking the lives of our comrades." Hinata watched Naruto run a heavy hand through his thick hair, as all her thoughts escaped her mind.

"N-Naruto." Hinata managed. "Y-you must do what y-you think is r-right. N-n one can make the decision for you."

Hinata quickly bit her lip as Naruto's body slumped over the bench at her words.

"B-but." She added. "I-if it m-makes you f-feel a-any b-better, I-I t-think you should w-wait, until t-the rest of our friends can join you. I-it would make me feel better k-knowing you were safe."

Hinata quickly looked away as Naruto's eyes lit up. "I should wait. I should just be patient, our friends are trained ninja, they can take care of themselves." He turned to Hinata and gave her a warm hug. "Thanks Hinata, you have no idea how long I've been agonzing over that decision." Then as if he realized what he was doing, he quickly jumped back and sheepishly looked at the ground. Hinata felt her cheeks burn as her confused thought tore through her mind.

"Well, it's getting late." Naruto said as he stared up at the sky. "We should be heading back." Once again Hinata found herself wrapped up in the arms of her shinobi, as he quickly made his way back through the dark streets to the hospital. Once inside the room, Naruto laid Hinata carefully across the hospital bed and tenderly pulled the wool blankets over her petite form. As he finished pulling the sheets to her shoulders, his blue eyes locked on her pearl iris's and he lingered over her face longer than he should have, with an expression Hinata had never seen before. Almost as if he realized what he was doing, Naruto shook himself free from the spell and smiled down at her.

"Friends right?" He asked.

"Friends." Hinata repeated, a small hint of sadness within her voice.

Then Naruto casually bent down and pressed he warm lips against her cool forehead and disappeared down the hall the hall before Hinata could utter another word.

Hinata rolled over in her bed, emotions running ramped within her chest. Naruto had left her breathless as he vanished out the door and half of her was still warm and tingling all over from the nights events, but at the same time she felt sick and she couldn't shake Kiba's face from her mind. Hinata lay awake in her bed, one hand over her silver heart and the other over clutching the flower still firmly tucked behind her ear. She stayed like this, allowing the dual personalities within her to collide, leaving her more listless and confused than she had been before, until sleep finally came to claim her.

Down the hall, Naruto sat in his hospital bed, his head spinning from the events of the night. He had kissed her forehead and told her they were just friends, but he wasn't entirely sure he still felt that way anymore and Sakura. He had always waited for, he would always wait for her, but he had told Hinata that he would stay and wait to leave again for her. Naruto lay his head down on his white fluffy pillow, his entire world spinning and no answers in sight.

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A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, I really wanted to put it up, I'm not sure if it conveys what I really want right now in the story, but I hope it does. Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

Naruto restlessly tossed and turned, desperately waiting for sleep's sweet release, but for some reason his pillow wasn't fluffy enough and the bed was becoming harder by the second. To make it worse, his mind wouldn't calm down. His thoughts seem to become louder and more pronounced with every failed attempt he made to fall into the rejuvenating cycle of slumber.

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't quit thinking about her. His Sakura was still missing and yet, he couldn't push the dark haired girl from his mind. Every glance, every blush, every touch she had given him that night replayed in his mind and lingered over his fingertips...his lips. He had told her he would wait to go after Sasuke and Sakura and now he couldn't sleep. What was happening to him? He would never have deserted Sakura so easily before, but for some reason he couldn't find a reason to resist the dark haired girl when she had pleaded for him to wait and rescue the missing girl with the others. At the time, he had been content with his decision and his promise, but now the uneasiness had crept in and his stomach wound tighter by the minute, and yet, despite all of this, he just wanted to see her again. Then he saw it, the face of the pink haired green eyed girl he had loved for so long and he felt a slight twinge radiate through his heart, then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Naruto inhaled deeply and sunk deeper into the pillow, his arm raised above his head as he he stared out the hospital window, the midnight sky reflecting his every thought. He would see her tomorrow, she'd be able to calm his nerves. She was his friend after all. His friend...

Hinata woke early, her hands still clutching her necklace and the flower. Meticulously she examined the dim hospital room, lit by the light pink and orange hues breaking up the monotony of the night sky. The sun hadn't risen quite yet and it would be awhile before she would have visitors again. Quietly she lay in her plain hospital bed, snuggling into the warmth her body had created between the blankets.

Absently she allowed her eyes to roam over the tiled ceiling and down the blank walls, as the weight on her grew heavier and heavier. Slowly her mind began wandering and she could picture her silver locket perfectly in her mind. Hinata cringed at the thought of the heavy object and desperately tried to push it from her thoughts, but it stubbornly refused to be ignored. Reluctantly Hinata relinquished any resistance and allowed the necklace to overtake her mind, along with the overwhelming emotions it evoked. She closed her eyes as she thought about the day Naurto had left. She had been so upset and yet Kiba was the one who had been there for her. The first year he was gone, she had been stuck in a hazy cloud. Everything moved around her, as her world stood still, it was almost surreal, and he had been there, to challenge her, to hug her, to just make her laugh. He had become a permanent fixture in her garden as well. One that she had come to take for granted. She saw him in the same light as she saw all of the wonderful flowers around her, beautiful and charming, and always there when she needed them. They were unchanging and reliable, just like her friend. When Naruto had finally returned, he was the one to tell her. He had made sure he was. She had just thought he wanted to share in the joy of his best friend, but now...how could she have missed it? How could she have not seen what should have been so clear to her? The one person who could understand him the most. Hinata felt the heaviness transcend from the locket and into the depths of her heart, as those three words echoed through her mind once more.

She bit her lip as her emotions began suffocating her fragile heart and her hand automatically reached for the pink flower still stuck in her hair. Carefully she pulled it out and stared longingly into the magenta petals as she twirled its long stem in her hand, causing the pink of the flower to blur together creating a parasol effect. Hinata studied the flower long after the initial beauty had faded away. The color now was more abrasive and obnoxious then it had been before, but somehow the flower maintained a soft and gentle glow, just like the person who had given it to her. Hinata's lips parted into a small smile at the thought of Naruto gently pulling her hair back and placing the impeccable flower behind her ear.

She blushed furiously as she thought about the intensity she had seen in his blue eyes as he held the beautiful flower in the palms of his rough hands, like he was trying to communicate some deep secret into its very being. Then Hinata remembered how he had looked when he turned to face her with the same intense blue eyes and a shudder ran through her spine, not from the chill of the morning light, but from the warmth she had felt when he had looked at her. The way she had felt was inexplicable and she would never forget the way his hands gently and lovingly placed the flower in her hair. Of course, there was also the moment they had shared before he had left. Hinata closed her eyes as she relived the few minutes before Naruto had bent down and tenderly kissed her forehead. She was uncertain, but she could have sworn that he had hovered over her lips a moment longer than he should have. Hinata allowed her thoughts to overtake her senses, and soon she was light headed and dizzy.

Suddenly she felt her common sense start to take over. Instantly bringing down from her euphoric high. Naruto had probably been thinking about Sakura, after all she was the only girl he had really talked about with her last night. She was only setting herself up to fall, and when she did who would be there to clean up the mess. Kiba. Hinata couldn't deny it, the feelings that his face started to evoke inside her weren't entirely platonic, but she didn't want to give up Naruto, not after last night. She wasn't sure, but for the first time she had hope that she could become something more than just his friend. Still, she couldn't help feeling torn. How could she trade her happiness for his? Could I be be happy with him, she silently wondered.

"Hinata! Hey Hinata!" A familiar voice whispered. Hinata jumped in her bed, and opened her mouth to scream as a strong hand circled around the back of her head and covered her mouth. The next thing she knew she was looking into the smiling face a very cheery blond hair shinobi.

"Shh! It's just me, I was wondering if you were hungry...I thought we could eat together." He nervously laughed.

Hinata continued to just stare up at the sunny haired boy in front of her. Even though hints of darkness still lingered within the room, she could still clearly see the nervous smile he held in anticipation of her answer, fall with every silent passing moment. After waiting awhile with no answer, Naruto finally relinquished his hand from over her mouth and hung his head in defeat. "T-that's okay, I understand." He said as he began to slowly saunter away.

Wide eyed, Hinata practically fell from her hospital bed as she frantically yelled in a hushed tone. "Yes Naruto! I would like that very much."

Naruto froze where he was. Hinata watched as her heart began to hammer frantically within her chest, unsure of what he was going to do or say next, his back the only visible thing to her in the dark room. "That's great, I'll sneak down into the kitchen and bring us some food. I'll be back soon." He said enthusiastically as he hurried out the door, leaving Hinata alone in her dim hospital room once more.

Hinata fell back into her pillows, her fingers already together, turning around one over the other. What had she just done? Wasn't she already confused enough? Why would she agree to this? Hinata looked down at her arms and suddenly became embarrassed by the deep burns and abrasions that littered her milky skin. Quickly she cacooned herself in the white bedsheets, hoping Naruto hadn't noticed. Maybe...maybe he already had she thought. Maybe that's why had been so nice to her last night and why he was getting her breakfast this morning. She silently cursed herself for not knowing better. She had convinced herself that he might actually have feelings for her, but the truth was he would never forget Sakura and now she wouldn't know how to face him, or Kiba.

Hinata stared out the window, watching the pink disappear from the sky as the sun began to emerge over the peak of the mountain top, casting a light blue around it's shimmering orange light. Gradually her dark room began to lighten up and her eyes began to close.

"Hinata...Hinata. Wake up, I'm here." A light voice gently nudged Hinata's consciousness back into the world of the living and she sleepily opened her eyes. Instead of the hypnotizing blue eyes she had expected to see, Hinata's sleepy eyes were met with a pair of dark brown ones.

"Kiba?" Hinata forced herself up and immediately looked out the window. The sun was completely out now and she could see people moving in the street below her window. "How long have I been asleep? What time is it?"

"It's about eight in the morning Hinata." Kiba stared at his friend, a look of confusion and worry pasted on his handsome face. "Why?"

Hinata shrugged off his question, uncertain of how to answer it, as she uncomfortably re-adjusted herself under her covers. When she moved her right hand, she felt something crinkle under the pressure.

"Uhh...Kiba could you get me some water, I'm really thirsty and my pitcher is empty." She said as she pointed to the light blue container sitting on the tray at the end of her bed. Obediently Kiba picked up the pitcher and took it down to the nurse's station. Hinata watched until he walked out the door, then she quickly pulled out the small piece of paper that had been placed in her hand.

The writing was small and looked as if it had been written in haste. Quickly she scanned the page, while she waited for Kiba to return.

_Hinata, _

_You looked so peaceful I didn't want to wake you. Don't worry we'll still have breakfast together, I'll be back later. _

_Naruto_

Hinata swiftly folded the parchment up and stuffed down the side of the bed as Kiba returned.

"Shouldn't you be lying down?" Kiba's concerned voice echoed through the room.

"Umm...I don't...uh...I'm fine Kiba." Hinata finally answered, her senses frazzled by his presence. Hinata kept her eyes down, not daring to look into her friends longing brown ones again.

"Would you like some water at least?" Kiba asked, already pouring her some in the small matching hospital cup.

"Uh...sure." Hinata fidgeted nervously as she waited for him to hand her the blue cup. Kiba smiled gently at his teammate, exposing the tips of his fangs as he handed her the drink. Hinata took it, her limbs shaking furiously as she attempted to take a sip, but only managed to splash a little on her lips.

Kiba lovingly watched his friend, his eyes scanning every inch of her scarred and healing body. Hinata shifted uncomfortably under his kind gaze, her mind whirling out of control. She could feel his eyes on her neck and she automatically reached for it.

Don't, it's bleeding he said as he reached for rag and some disinfectant from the same tray the water pitcher rested on. Hinata gently touched the open wound on her neck and stared at her bloody hand. He was right, one of her burns had opened up and from the looks of it, was bleeding pretty badly.

Closing her eyes, Hinata waited for Kiba's warm touch. She didn't wait for long, soon she could feel his smooth hands against the side of her neck as he carefully cleaned up the blood pulling in her wound. Then suddenly, she felt his hot breath upon her skin. Hinata's heart began pounding rapidly deep within her chest and her breathing became labored as every hair on her body began to tingle and stand upright.

"You know, I came as soon I could when I found out you were awake." Kiba whispered, his words tickling her sensitive skin.

"Uh...hunh." Was they only thing she could manage.

"I-I wanted to-to tell you something, b-before it's too late." He urgently continued.

Hinata's eyes sprung open, desperate to keep him from what he was about to do. She wasn't ready for this, she couldn't handle this.

"Kiba, please don't..."

"I like you Hinata." There was a sudden crashing sound and Hinata turned to look Kiba in the eyes. There she found an inviting warmth and a longing she was unsure she could return, but desperately wanted to. At the same time, she saw a blond streak disappear down the hall. Naruto.

"Kiba...I-uh, I-I." Hinata felt the intensity of all her thoughts and the confusion of all her emotions well up inside of her at once. "I like you too, really I do, but, I don't know, I'm so confused." Hinata began to weep wildly as Kiba stared at her in amazement. Before he could answer back, nurses came running down the hall as the intercom bellowed through the hospital.

"This is a red alert, I repeat this is a red alert."

Hinata frantically watched as the nurses headed in the direction of his room. In the sea of white and black hair, Hinata spotted a blond glimmer of hope.

"Ino!" She yelled as she leapt out bed and ran to the door, leaving Kiba to stare in astonishment.

"Ino! Who is it?" Hinata hollered after her desperately.

Ino quickly made her way back to her dark haired friend, her blue eyes full of panic.

"It's Naruto." She confided. "He escaped."

Hinata watched as the blond girl returned to her place within the sea of nurses. As Hinata sadly turned to re-enter her room, she froze for a moment, her eyes locked on the two light blue plate lying on the ground. Swiftly she made her way across the room and grabbed Kiba by the arm.

"We have to go after him, he's gone after Sakura and Sasuke on his own." She yelled frantically.

"You can't go anywhere not like that." He pointed to the burn marks all over her body.

"We can't just let him go out there alone, he could be killed if he goes by himself." Hinata watched as the gentleness melted from her friends eyes and was replaced by a blackness she had never seen before, then, just as quickly the same soft eyes were staring at her.

"Then I will go." He decided.

"No, you can't go alone either." Kiba eyed his friend before answering.

"I have Akamaru, I won't be alone."

"No." Hinata insisted.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "I'll get Shino too."

"There is no time for that, we must go after him now and I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Kiba gave Hinata a hard look.

"You can't protect me forever." She pushed. The insistence in her eyes hardening.

Kiba glared at her and then finally sighed in defeat.

"Okay, then how do you want to do this?"

"You'll leave out the front on your own, but first you'll find Ino and tell her to send Shino after us, along with anyone Lady Tsunade thinks will be of any assistance. Then you will meet me below this window. I should have plenty of time to find him with my Byakugan between now and then."

Kiba stared at his friend in disbelief, before silently stalking away.

Hinata walked over to her door and quietly closed it, making sure it was locked before releasing the handle.

Then she turned and stared at the emptiness of her white room and took in a deep breath before proceeding to take her clothes from the inside of the mini dresser. She was relieved when she found her normal ninja gear, her standard purple over coat with blue leggings, and not the thrashed pink dress she had been wearing the night she had been emitted. "Thank you Kurenai." She whispered as she slipped into her fresh clothing and discarded the hospital gown.

Then she carefully opened the window and jumped down.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she activated her Byakugan and quickly began to survey the area. A small smile spread across her face as she spotted a distant chakra running deep into the woods. Just as I suspected she thought, as she waited for her teammate to arrive, never losing sight of her target.

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A/N: I didn't really like this chapter, but please review.


	17. Chapter 17

Hinata watched as the glowing figure ran deeper into the woods, his blue chakra emanating though the trees. She could hear the chaos echoing from within the hospital building, as the nurses frantically searched for the missing ninja. Hinata quietly hoped they still hadn't noticed she was missing too.

"There you are!" An accusing voice yelled from behind her. Hinata gulped, torn between turning around to face her new companion, or keeping her gaze on the vanishing blue light. Silently she cursed under her breath, as she turned to face the person standing behind her, knowing the fight would inevitably divide her attention between her young shinobi and the young woman anyway.

Hinata could feel the perspiration gathering on her forehead and forming under her arms as she shifted her position under the hot sun and meet the hard glare of a pair of crystal blue eyes. Hinata put her hands behind her back and began rocking back in forth as she bit her bottom lip. "Yes Ino?" Hinata inquired in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Ino stared at her fellow ninja, her face betraying no emotion as she flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder, securing her ponytail at the base. "I'm sorry Hinata, but I can't allow you to leave the hospital." Ino paused and stared at the exposed skin on Hinata's neck. Instinctively Hinata moved her hand to cover the deep lacerations. "Your wounds are not completely healed Hinata, you must come back."

Hinata stood her ground as she continued to follow the fading blue chakra thorugh the forest. If Kiba didn't arrive soon, she would lose him.

"I'm sorry Ino, but I can't do that just yet, please try to understand." Hinata couldn't hide the desperate plea resonating through her voice, as she carefully eyed her friend, waiting for her reaction.

Ino just stood there, contemplating her friends words. Hinata held her breath, as she chewed on her bottom lip. Maybe she would let her go, there was a chance after all. Ino had felt it just as much as Sakura when Sasuke had disappeared.

"I understand how you feel Hinata." Ino began. "But I cannot allow you to follow him, not in your condition." Hinata realized she had been holding her breath as Ino spoke these words. Instantly, she began gasping for air like a person suffocatin under a weight that has fallen on them.

"I will not got back Ino, not until Naruto is home safe." Hinata's face hardened with resolve and she prepared herself for Ino to attack.

"If you don't come willingly, then I'll have to take you by force." Ino placed her hands out in front of her in a triangle shape. Hinata's eyes went wide in fear...she wouldn't...she was only suppose to use that technique when her teammates were around, it was too dangerous otherwise. Before Ino had time to finish, Hinata lunged at her, breaking Ino's concentration, and pulled back as Ino countered with a left hook.

Hinata's mind raced as the two Kunoichi circled one another, sizing each other up. Hinata watched as Ino's bare stomach steadily moved in and out with every breath she took. Hinata felt oddly removed from the situation as she continued to watch her friends midriff. They had gone to the academy together and even then Ino sported her stomach. Her button up top and skimpy mini skirt had been blue then, but now she sported a royal purple color. They knew everything about each other's abilities and fighting styles, something Hinata had always assumed she'd only need to know while fighting an opponent together. She would never have thought of using that knowledge against her own friend. Was this how Naruto had felt when he had gone against Sasuke all those times? Had he also encountered this strange surreal feeling of lifelessly floating beside his body as it voluntairly moved on its own and his consciouness was too helpless to stop it?

Hinata eyed Ino nervously as she analyzed the situation. _Ino knows just how dangerous I am in close combat, therefore she'll attempt to avoid it at all costs. She doesn't need to be particularly close to her opponent for her mind jutsu to work, so if I don't keep her from finishing her hand signs I'll be as good as done. All I have to do is press the attack._

Hinata allowed herself to momentairly shift her attention to Naruto, her gaze still on Ino. She could still see the blue chakra, but it was no longer moving. He was standing in the middle of the thick forest, almost as if he was waiting for someone. Suddenly, two other chakras entered Hinata's vision. _Who is that? ...Sakura...and..._

Hinata quickly focused back on the fight at hand, as a blur of hand movements flashed across her vision. Automatically, she charged for the blond girl once more, a thin layer of chakra encasing the palm of her hand. Hinata pulled her arm back and flung her her hand toward the center of Ino's fleshy stomach. Hinata felt her hand make contact, then, suddenly the shadow clone disappeared in a puff of smoke and Hinata felt the suffocating suppression of her consciousness.

"Don't try to fight it. There's no point, it won't work." A familiar voice echoed through her mind. "You're going back to the hospital now."

Hinata felt her foot move, but it didn't feel like her foot. The sensation resonating through her body as Ino forced her feet to the ground and back up again was faint, almost as if someone were lightly rubbing the bottom of her feet with the palm their hand over and over again.

"Wait Right there!" A strong gruff voice hollered at Hinata. "I won't let you take one more step...Ino." Hinata faintly heard a growl escape the man's lips as Ino froze where she was.

Hinata could feel the faint leap of her heart within her chest at the sound of Kiba's voice and the relief that passed over her body.

"Interesting Hinata...does he know?" Ino asked, a pleasant twinge to her voice at the juicy information she had just received.

Hinata allowed her consiousness to to retreat back into the dark abyss of her mind, as Ino opened her mouth to speak.

"What are you going to do? If you interefere with the return of a patient, you will face serious consequences. Are you prepared to take that risk Kiba?" Ino challenged the dark haired man. Akamaru pulled back his ears and expelled an evil snarl toward the young woman.

Kiba smirked at the possessed Hinata. "Are you sure you want to make such idle threats when you've left yourself completely vulnerable." Kiba's eyes glanced behind Hinata at the lifeless body on the ground.

Without a word, Akamaru stalked past Ino and Hinata and placed himself between them and the young woman's body. Hinata could feel the heat of Ino's mind as she became more and more frustrated with the situation.

"What are you going to do?" She hissed between gritted teeth.

"Oh, don't worry Ino." Kiba said with a suave smile. "I woud never hurt you...but, if you don't release Hinata from your mind jutsu, I might just take your body for a little trip."

"You wouldn't." She cried in horror.

Kiba placed his hands inside his pockets and gave a small chuckle. "Akamaru."

Akamaru bent down to lift Ino's body with his head.

Hinata could feel the panick as Ino's consciousness began throbbing wildly inside her head. She couldn't hear Ino's thoughts, but from the way they felt, Hinata knew Ino was quickly trying to figure out what to do.

Suddenly the heavy weight against her conscious lifted and her body felt heavy and slow.

Kiba and Hinata both watched as the blond kunoichi opened her eyes and lazily pushed herself off the ground. Ino's sharp blue eyes instantly fell upon Kiba.

"Okay, I released her, but don't think I'm just going to let her leave. As an employee of the hospital and a medical ninja I have a duty to make sure she stays here until she is well enough to leave. If she follows Naruto in this condition she may not just fall into a come this time."

Hinata silently activated her byakugan while Ino and Kiba were distracted with one another. She could see the same pink and black chakra as before, but Naruto's looked different. The normal light blue that ran through his chakra system was emitting a deep orange in the pit of his stomach, the central point of the chakra system. Hinata studied the oragne chakra as it began to slowly seep into Naruto's normal chakra flow.

"I won't let her go!" Hinata tuned back into the conversation to hear Ino's continuing screams of protest. Hinata began fiddling her fingers and chewing on the inside of her lip. She understood that Ino would not let her go willlingly, but Naruto needed help now, the only thing she could now was...

"Kiba" Hinata interrupted their little quarrel. "Please, listen to me. You must go after Naruto on your own, he needs your help now. He is in the very center of the woods and he has encountered two other people. I've been able to identify one of the chakra's as Sakura's, but the other...the other chakra I've never seen before."

Kiba and Ino stared at the meek dark haired girl before them in surprise.

"B-b-bu..."

"No Kiba...please just listen to me." She pleaded. "I will stay here with Ino, please just protect Naruto. I'll try to catch up with you as soon as I can."

"As you wish, I did promise to protect him after all." Kiba gave his friend a small smile and brought his eyes to her's. The same small pain ran through her heart, as she meet Kiba's sad brown eyes. Slowly his hand reached for her cheek, but he fought back the urge to touch it. His hand hovered over her skin for a moment and then he and Akamaru were gone and she was left all alone with Ino.

Hinata returned her attention to the half-dressed kunoichi in front of her, as she tracked Kiba's and Akamaru's progress through the woods.

"You're coming back with me wether you like it or not." Ino asserted as she prepared herself to fight once more.

"No, I'm not." Hinata cried in defiance. "Not until Naruto and Kiba return to the village safely."

Hinata gathered her chackra to her hands once more and lunged at Ino with her left palm. Ino leaned back, dodging the chakra infused hand and backed up. Hinata continued pressing forward, attacking with her left hand, then her right, followed by a roundhouse kick to the head. Ino managing to evade them all, desperately trying to avoid contact with Hinata's dangerous hands.

"You won't be able to dodge my attacks forever." Hinata declared in a determined voice.

"I don't need forever." Ino breathed.

Hinata allowed a small smirk to spread across her milky skin for the first time in her life.

"Don't think that tricks going to work again Ino." _I just have to keep her from forming hand signs._

While they continued in their rythmic dance, Hinata could see the glowing brown chakra of Kiba closing in on Naruto. Hinata knew Kiba was using his keen sense of smell to locate her yellow haired shinobi's precise location in the dense forest, so it would be easy for him to find him.

Hinata threw a left hook, followed swiftly by a right side kick. Ino danced out of the way of Hinata's hook, but Hinata's foot conneted with Ino's left side. Ino winced in pain a she quickly moved out of her opponents range.

Hinata pursued the hurt girl, her attention on Naruto as she threw a jab at Ino's chest. While Ino moved out of the way, Hinata could see that Naruto's chakra was now completely orange. Suddenly, the form she was so accustomed to began to grow and change. She watched in horror as Naruto's arms and legs turned into the front and hind legs of a fox, as he arched his back and grew not one, but four bushy tails. _Naruto_...was the only thought that went through her mind as she witnessed his nose transform into the snout of a fox, and his beautiful blue eyes burn red.

Hinata was suddenly afraid, as she frantically searched out the familiar brown chakra heading toward the beast. "Kiba!" She cried in horror as she found him closing the gap between him and the monster that had attacked them back at the cave. Hinata watched helplessly as Kiba passed by the last tree, bringing face to face with Sakura, the mysterious man and the glowing red beast.

_I have to hurry up and end this,_ Hinata thought as she stared at the yellow chakra flowing through Ino's body. Hinata narrowed her eyes and began to attack Ino with a new fury. Ino continued to dodge and weave, when Hinata threw her last punch, Ino weaved underneath Hinata's extended arm and countered with a left jab to Hinata's face.

Hinata stumbled back shocked at the retaliatory strike.

"What?" Ino chuckled sardonically. "Did you really believe I was just going to run from you all day?"

Hinata let out a small sigh as she rubbed her face. This wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought, but she had to get to Kiba and Naruto, for both of their sakes.

Hinata charged at Ino once more. As she gathered the chakra to her hands, she could see the orange chakra of Naruto lunging toward the man Hinata didn't recognize, as Kiba ran for Sakura.

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A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, hopefully this will satisfy some people for now, sorry it's so short. I'll post anther chapter asap.


	18. Chapter 18

_Please forgive me Ino_. Hinata pushed all the chakra to her hands, forming the twin lion's heads as she swiftly moved her arms in the air. She was swinging so fast, even she could not follow the movements with her eyes.

Desperately, Ino tried to back up and dodge at the same time. When she set her foot down on the dusty ground, Hinata caught her with an upper cut to the jaw. Instantly, Ino flew back into the wall of the hospital and collapsed in an unconscious heap.

"Oh, no!" Hinata squealed as she ran over to her fallen friend. Quickly she examined her body, searching for any serious injuries. While Hinata examined the limp woman's yellow chakra flow, a giant wave of relief cleared away the initial fear and horror she had felt when she watched Ino fly back. She could tell the young woman would be fine by the way her chakra continued to flow flawlessly throughout her body, since the chakra system was close to the circulatory system, if there had been any damage to Ino's chakra system, Hinata could be certain damage had been done to her circulatory system as well, but lucky for her there was no such damage.

Hinata bit the inside of her mouth and twiddled her fingers as she thought about what to do next, she didn't want to just leave Ino like this, lying unconscious against the Hospital building in the middle of the day, if anyone found her, they would become suspicious, but what could she do with her?

Hinata didn't have time to make up her mind though. She could see the beast in the forest lunging toward the man she didn't know, as Kiba tried to sneak over to Sakura, but every time his brown chakra came near the pink chakra girl, the man with the sinister chakra would shake the four tailed demon and attack Kiba, causing him to fall back and putting him in danger of the fiery creature.

"Come on Ino, I have to save our friends." Hinata crouched down and gathered her friends limp body onto her shoulders. Hinata lightly jogged through the trees, wishing she had left the extra weight she was carrying behind. Her eyes were focused entirely on the battle raging on in front of her. She continued to run, for what felt like hours, with Ino on her back.

When Hinata finally reached the clearing Kiba and Nrauto were fighting in, she gently sat Ino against a tree surrounded by bushes. This way she will be well hidden from anyone who might pass by, she thought. Then she silently crept back through the trees to spot where Kiba and Naruto were fighting, along with the unknown man.

Hinata's heart raced as she prepared to join the battle. She hid behind the trunk of a large tree and used her byakugan to watch the action. As she scanned the area, she noted how clear the area was. It was void of any trees save for a single stump positioned underneath the shade of a massive tree, whose branches reached out over the stump in a protective fashion.

She could see Kiba standing on the far side fo the circle now, as Akamaru positioned himself between Sakura, the unknown man and the four-tails. Suddenly Hinata heard a voice.

"I don't understand! Why can't I control you now? It's worked once before."

Hinata furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and scanned the area with her byakugan once more. When her eyes landed on the unknown man, Hinata's eyebrows rose in fascination. How hadn't she noticed it before?

Slowly she peered her head around the ruff trunk of the tree. As Hinata stared at the strange man trying to hypnotize the giant Kyuubi, she heard Kiba's voice.

"Sasuke, what are you doing? We're your friends! Why are you doing this?"

Hinata stared more intently at the man standing before her. The only part of the ominous face she recognized were the red sharingan eyes he possessed.

Hinata was distracted from her thoughts as two fiery, orange tails swung around and shattered the tree covering her into thousands of pieces.

"Hinata!" Kiba yelled as he threw a handful of kunai at the demon and the dark man. Hinata followed the kunai with her eyes as the man simply blocked them with his own. The movement was so small and discreet, Hinata almost missed the slight flicker of his hand. The beast didn't bother dodging, instead the blazing creature turned it's back to the kunai, so it could face Hinata. All four of the weapons Kiba had thrown disintergrated the moment they entered the Kyuubi's out layer of heat.

"Hinata! Go and retrieve Sakura, I'll hold the beast off!"

Hinata stood were she was, too stunned to move, as she watched Kiba's feral eyes furrow into anger as he pulled his lips into a low growl, exposing his long pointed fangs. The large fox brought his left paw up and swatted it at Kiba. Effortlessly, Kiba jumped in the air and out of the way, while calling for Akamaru as he threw a slew of tagged Kunai around the fiery creature.

Hinata could feel her insides tightening as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her.

"Hinata! What are you doing? I told you to grab Sakura and get her out of the way!"

"I-I" Hinata desperately tried to find her voice as the creature came after Kiba once more.

"Ready Akamaru?" Kiba growled as he popped a brown pill into his friends mouth.

"Kiba don't! It's...it's...he's Naruto!" Hinata cried out.

Kiba froze as he stared at her in disbelief.

"What do you mean he's Naruto? What are you talking about Hinata?"

"The demon is Naruto, Kiba. I-I watched his transformation during my fight with Ino, after you had already left."

Suddenly a fiery paw came down from the sky, heading straight for Kiba. Quickly, he attempted to roll out of the way, but the flames from the beasts paws caught his left shoulder, causing him to fall painfully to the ground. As Kiba clamored back to his feet, Hinata heard a maniacal laugh, this was the first time she actually acknowledged the mysterious man's presence since she had been exposed from behind the tree.

"What's so funny Sasuke?" Kiba roared from behind gritted teeth.

Hinata stared at the man in confusion. Did Kiba just call him Sasuke? What was going on?

"It's a shame when two comrades have to fight one another, when one is forced to exterminate the other." The sharingan user laughed.

Kiba stared at Hinata, his expression soft and full of understanding. Instantly Hinata ran over to Sakura, assured Naruto would be safe...from Kiba at least.

"No one knows how that feels better than I. The feeling of hatred and contempt, as someone close to you, someone you trusted, loses all sense of who he is, of everything he holds dear. I was just like Naruto, full of loathing for the people around me who pretended to be my friend, but who were too scared of my power to truly trust and protect me. I watched helplessly as my life and my home were taken from me, leaving with nothing. You have no idea how it feels not have home, not to have a place in this world, do you boy? I'm sure you wouldn't want someone to take that place away from, no matter how good a friend they might be. I can sense the strong sense of loyalty inside of you and I can tell, even if it was your best friend, you would do anything to protect your home." Hinata could feel the Sharingan user's eyes fall on her as he said these last words to Kiba.

When she reached the pink haired girl, she was crouching low to the ground toward the outer edge of the small clearing.

"Sakura...Sakura, come on let's go." She whispered softly, trying not to pull the man's attention.

"Go? Go where?" Sakura asked confused. "I want to stay here, with Sasuke."

"Sasuke isn't here." Hinata stated, the frustration growing in her mind, as she noted what Sakura was wearing. She was in her usual Kunoichi attire, a pink sleeveless shirt paired with a pair of black shorts, but the night she disappeared, she had been wearing a dress on her date with Naruto. What was going on?

"Yes he is, he's right over there. He's trying to stop Kiba, so he can take him back to the village because he left Konoha three years ago and joined Orichimaru."

"What are you talking about, Sasuke was the one who did that."

"No, Kiba did, besides I think I would know if Sasuke wether or not it was Sasuke, I mean we've been together for the last year."

What was going on? Kiba and Sakura both referred to that stranger as Sasuke, but he wasn't...atleast she thought he wasn't. Maybe he'd put her under some kind of genjutsu. Hinata's mind flashed back to the night in the woods, when she saw Naruto, it had seemed so real at the time, but it wasn't, was this real? Hinata shook her head to clear the thoughts from her mind. No, she had to get Sakura out of here.

"Sakura, you're coming with me, it's not safe for us here." Hinata's voice resonated with an unusual certainty that sounded strange and foriegn to her ears.

"No, I won't. If you're not with me and Sasuke, then you're with Kiba. I have not choice but to take you back to Konoha, along with Kiba." Sakura mechanically placed one foot in front of the other and brought her hands to her face. Her fists were clenched, ready block or strike at any time.

Hinata bit her lip, so this was how it was going to be. She'd already hurt Ino, now she would have to fight Sakura too. The best way would be for her to close all her chakra points leading to her brain, that way she would lose consciousness and the control this man, Sasuke, had over her would be relinquished.

"You're coming with me, wether you want to or not." Hinata stated as she charged forward. Sakura didn't back up, instead she swung straight for Hinata with her right hand. Frantically Hinata ducked out of the way, barely missing the devestating punch.

_I have to avoid getting hit with her hands somehow, if she lands one blow on me, I won't recover, her deadly strength far surpasses my byakugan in that way._

Hinata pulled out and threw a left round house kick at Sakura. The pink kunoichi easily blocked the attack, and countered with her own kick to Hinata's right side. Hinata felt the air leaving her body, as the impact of Sakura's leg squeezed all the oxygen out of her. Then Sakura followed with a right hook, forcing Hinata to move left and into the pink haired girls powerful left fist. Hinata could feel her bones shatter within her arm, as Sakura's inhumanly strong hand made contact with Hinata.

Both girls fell back, as Hinata gripped her arm in pain, this wasn't good, at this rate, Sakura would finish the fight in no time. Hinata took in a few heavy breaths, as she frantically tried to come up with a plan. As Hinata stared at the massive amounts of pink chakra gathering in her long time friend and rival's hands, she watched as Kiba and the man continued interacting. They hadn't exchanged blows yet, as Kiba tried to figure out a way to subdue the beastly Naruto without hurting him, but the man was still talking to him.

"It looks like you have no choice, but to fight your old friend to the death." The man chuckled as Kiba managed to escape from the Kyuubi's massive reach once more.

"I'll never kill my friend, no matter what. I would rather die protecting Naruto, then taking his life with my own hands." Kiba snapped.

"Who said I was talking about Naruto?" The man asked Kiba, as he made a slight movement, and suddenly he was on on the Kyubbi's back. Hinata saw Kiba's horror struck face as the man pulled out a large katana with his left hand. Hinata watched closely as the man set his right hand down on the Kyuubi's back. Why wasn't his getting burned? Then she noticed something, through the black chakra that was flowing through his body, she could a small vile sized amount of orange chakra floating between the man's index finger and thumb of the his right hand.

Then the man made a huge gesture, as he moved to plunge the huge Katana into Naruto's back.

"No! Akamaru!" Kiba yelled as a white and gray blur lunged after the man called Sasuke. In the blink of an eye, the man pulled back and threw a small flame from his mouth toward a tagged kunai on the ground, causing the area to erupt in a ball of flames, engulfing the nine-tails in the blast, while sending Akamaru flying into a nearby tree and landing lifelessly on the ground.

Instinctively, Kiba raced forward and jumped through the air, rage flowing through his veins.

"I'll kill you for what you did to my friends. I promised to protect him and I won't go back on my word." Kiba seethed as he sharpened his claws and showed his teeth.

Hinata backed up as she barely missed another one of Sakura's attacks. What was she doing? She had to finish this and soon, Kiba needed her help.

Hinata gathered her chakra to her right hand, as Sakura threw a reverse. Swiftly Hinata jumped out of the way, her left arm dangling limply at her side. She could feel the familiar sparks jumping between her fingers as she envisioned the locket hanging around her neck. _Kiba...Naruto this is for you._ Hinata lifted her hand as Sakura soared toward, ready to land a superman punch.

When Sakura's neck was within reah, Hinata lifted her hand toward Sakura and pushed all the chakra out of her hand at once, just before Sakura's fist made contact with Hinata's face. Hinata closed her eyes, as the pink haired girls fist caught her in the mouth, but opened them again as Sakura, along with her fist fell lifelessly to the ground.

_I must have stopped her chakra flow before her fist made contact_. A flood of relief washed over Hinata as she quickly examined Sakura's body, while she dragged her to safety with one arm. She seemed alright to Hinata, thankfully she hadn't injured her too bad, but the contusions on her neck would need to be tended to.

Hinata's medical evaluation of her comrade was cut short as Kiba flew through the air, straight for the strange man. Hinata could see the man quickly hide the glowing vile of chakra in the ground, as Kiba flew straight for him. The man just stared up at Kiba, making now attempt to move, as the Kyuubi behind them lifted it's paw once more.

"No! Kiba! Turn around!" Hinata cried as she raced over to help her friend. Her arm swinging like a dead man on a noose with every movement she made.

Kiba pulled claw like hands back in the air and slashed the man called Sasuke in the face. As Kiba landed on the ground at the man's feet, there was an all too familiar popping noise, and the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hinata watched as his surprised face turned around, right into Kyuubi's paw. Hinata forced herself to run faster, her heart dying inside, as she watched the demon mercilessly clawing at Kiba's unconscious body.

"Naruto! Stop!" Without thinking, Hinata closed her watering eyes, allowing the tears to run down her face as she dove for the fiery Kyuubi's hind leg.

The heat of the flames caused the wounds on her neck to re-open, while the flames licked at her cool face. Desperately Hinata clung to the demon with one arm, as she thought about the necklace, Kiba, Naruto and her strength.

"I must help them, I have to save them both! I am strong enough!" Hinata cried as the a huge wave of chakra erupted within her, poring out of her entire body. Soon the mind numbing heat the Kyuubi was radiating slowly began to cool, as Hinata's massive chakra flowed over the monster. As Hinata forced out even more of her chakra, the huge fire of the Kyuubi began to only smoulder.

Hinata couldn't hold any longer, she could feel the her body becoming weak and her consciousness beginning to slip into darkness. As her chakra began to retreat back into her body, Naruto's body slowly began to take shape. When her chakra had completely returned to her, she was staring at the handsome face of her blond shinobi. _Naruto..._Hinata's gaze shifted over to Kiba's ripped body, as she tried to drag her broken body closer to him. The last thing Hinata remembered before she was completely consumed by the darkness was Kiba's hand, struggling to pull something from his pocket and clutching the item in his hand. "H-Hinata." He whispered, then he was silent. _Kiba..._Hinata thought, then everything went black.

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Ino rubbed her head, as she groggily stirred into consciousness. What was going on? Where was she? Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around. She was surrounded by bushes and trees, where did Hinata go?

Grumpily, Ino gathered her strength and pushed herself off the ground with much effort and clumsily stumbled out of her prison of plants. As she surveyed the area, she spotted a familiar pink head of hair, off to her right.

She quickly made her way over to the unconscious girl and surveyed her body with her hands. She had some injuries, mostly in the neck and chest, but nothing too serious. Ino healed the injuries the best she could, all the while wondering where Sakura had come from.

After she had finished doing what she could for Sakura, Ino searched around a little more. As she made her way through the trees, she eventually came to a small clearing, where from the looks of the devastation, a battle had occurred.

Ino examined the small battle ground, her heart beating rapidly as she recognized the three unconscious shinobi and Akamaru. Hinata was lying between Naruto and Kiba, with her arms outstretched almost as if she was reaching out for both of them. Hastily she made her way across the ground, searching for any small hint of chakra, and healing what she could. When she came to the last body, her heart eyes burned and her heart stopped. _It...it can't be..._

Ino pushed herself to her feet, almost tripping over the large hole in the ground and hurried back to Konoha to inform Tsunade.

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A/N: Okay...well I'm kind of unsure about this last chapter, I hope you guys like it. Hopefully I portrayed everything I wanted to clearly. The next couple chapters may not be up for awhile because I've been rehearsing like crazy for the renaissance faire, I'm going to be performing at it every weekend in September. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review. Who knows, if I get enough reviews I might find the time to post sooner.


	19. Chapter 19

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and looked around. The room was dark, but she could still make out the plain white walls and the faded blue curtains. She was back in the hospital again. Hinata lay awake in the uncomfortable hospital bed and stared out the window. She could clearly make out the moon and the stars. Gradually, her eyes shifted through the copious sparkling diamonds in the sky, until she found the two stars who shone the brightest. She studied them for a moment, letting their light wash over her. The longer she gazed on them, the more the yearning to touch the dual lights grew inside of her. Her left arm moved slightly and was met with an unfamiliar resistance. Hinata's arm had been bandaged down to her side. _That's right,_ Hinata thought,_ my arm was broken in my fight with Sakura._ Hinata's mind wondered back to the end of the battle, the image of Naruto's pained face and Kiba's bloody body burned in her memory. Hinata allowed the two light to blur together, until all she could see was one massive light. _Naruto...Kiba...I hope you're alright._ Then she drifted off into the realm of uconsciousness, completely oblivious to the pair of sullen eyes watching over her.

Hinata drifted into consciousness again, to the loud chirping of birds and the bright light flooding through her window. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, as she tried to push herself up in the bed.

"No Hinata! Y-you need to be careful!" A familiar voice echoed through her ears as she felt a pair of soft hands on her lower back and stomach. Effortlessly, the person helped Hinata up as she pulled her lashes a part.

Instantly, Hinata's hazy white eyes saught out the other person in her room. Ino smiled at her friend, but there was something about the way the blond's sky blue eyes looked at ther that made her feel uneasy. It was as though her lips were happy, but her eyes had experienced a great tragedy no person should ever see.

Hinata pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, as though she were deep in thought. Ino watched her friend suddenly grap her left arm in surprise and look at it.

"My-my wrap, where's my cast? And why is my arm healed already?" Hinata's dark hair flung wildly around her face as she looked from Ino to her arm and back to Ino.

"I-It's gone now sweetie. You don't need it anymore, your arm has fully recovered from your encounter and now that you're awake, you can go home within the next couple of days. That is, after the doctor's give you a full examination and clear you."

"H-how long was I out?" Hinata's eyes widened in horror as she suddenly realized what was going on.

"I-it's been a few months." Ino answered shakily. "You were really weak after the encounter that day in the woods. Your body was charred so badly I could only recognize you by your eyes, and your chakra was almost completely depleted. T-to be honest, I...we didn't think you'd survive." Hinata listened to Ino, as her voice broke from holding back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. "B-but, everyone will be relieved and overjoyed now that you're awake, now that you're okay."

Hinata furrowed her brow at Ino's words, there was just something about the way she was acting, the way her voice ached with every word that didn't seem right.

"W-what about Naruto and Kiba, are they alright too?" Hinata closed her eyes, scared of what her response would be.

"Naruto is fine and when you get out of here, Kiba wants you to go see Akamaru, he's with Kiba's sister right now, since he needed his wounds tended to and she's the only vet in the whole village." Hinata dared to open her eyes at Ino's words and watched as the blond girl started to turn to make her way out the door. Hinata couldn't help feeling like she was still missing something, Ino's responses and behaviors were just a little off. Suddenly Ino stopped and turned back around as she reached for something in her pocket.

"I almost forgot" Ino said as she pulled a small object out. "Kiba also wanted this returned to you. He believed they're was no reason for him to continue holding on to it." Hinata opened her palm in order to receive whatever it was Ino had to give her. Carefully, she placed the tiny thing and Hinata's hand and left the room before Hinata had time to say anything else.

A slight flush brushed over Hinata's cheeks, as she stared at the picture of her shinobi, of Naruto in her hand. She had forgotten Kiba was holding onto the this for her. In fact, she believed it was still in her locket the day Naruto turned into a demon in the clearing. She had called on him to give her the strength she needed to protect both Naruto and Kiba.

Hinata smiled to herself as she placed the small heart shaped photo next to her pillow, so she could admire it. Maybe she did have the strength she needed inside of herself after all. As she sat there staring at Naruto's picture, with the warm sunlight beating down on the back of her head, she could feel the inevitable call of sleep as it gently tugged at the ends of her eyes.

Carefully, she shifted in her bed so as not to disturb the tiny image of Naruto next to her. Before she closed her eyelids, a long strip of bright pink caught her attention. On the windowsill, Hinata could see sea of magenta flowers, all identical to the one Naruto had given her the last time she had been in the hospital. Hinata guessed that he had brought one almost everyday she had been in unconscious, just from the sheer number of them. The thought warmed her heart and gently she finished snuggling into her blankets. Shortly afterward, she had fallen into a deep sleep, a small smile pasted across her face, as images of her blond, blue eyed shinobi ran through her mind.

Over the next couple of days, Hinata accumulated a bigger collection of flowers, but nobody else came to visit her. She didn't even see Ino again. It didn't take long for the Doctors to examine her and recommend her discharge, which Hinata was both excited and discouraged about it.

Hinata heard a small knock on her hospital room door as she finished packing her things. She had spent a lot of time in the hospital over the last four or five months and she was definitely ready to leave. Hinata finished zipping up her pack, as she turned toward the door to see who it was.

Ino was standing in the doorway, her signature purple midriff and skirt replaced with a black replica. Hinata stared at her friend with curiosity, she had never seen Ino wear any other color but blue. Hinata eyed her suspiciously, but then shrugged it off.

"Yes Ino?" Hinata asked her friend. Ino just continued to stare through Hinata, almost as if she hadn't even heard her. "Is everything okay?" Hinata asked with more concern in her voice this time.

Ino gave Hinata a dazed expression and shook her head response.

"Remember, you're suppose to go and visit Akamaru today?" Ino asked, her eyes not meeting Hinata's.

Hinata simply shook her head yes.

"I'm going to go with you, just as an extra precaution by the hospital, you know, in case they missed something." Ino paused, making sure Hinata was still listening. "Before I we go to see Akamaru though, I have orders to take you to Lady Tsunade. She would like to talk to you about the day in the woods. She wants to know what happened after Naruto escaped from the hospital."

Ino delivered the words with a heavy voice, almost as if it were a day she longed to forget.

"That's fine." Hinata consented; although she knew she really didn't have a choice. Hinata quickly pulled her pack onto her back and grabbed the small photo from the top of the white pillow and placed it in her pocket. "I'm all ready to go now."

As Ino and Hinata made there way down the busy roads of Konoha, toward the looming red building at the far end of the village, Hinata's mind swirled in confusion over the last few days. Nothing seemed quite right, the only person who had come to visit her was Ino, and she hadn't returned until today.

"Ino." Hinata began tentatively, her fingers twirling around one another and her teeth grading at the inside of her mouth. "W-where is Shino?"

Ino didn't even turn to face her dark haired companion has they continued making there way by the shops. Instead she pretended to be window shopping as they pushed through the crowd.

"Nobody's really seen him since the day Naruto escaped from the hospital." Hinata could hear the uneasiness to Ino's voice as she carefully chose her words. "But, he'll be there when you go to visit Akamaru today." Ino added nonchalantly.

"Oh, okay." Hinata let the subject drop, as they walked the rest of the way in silence. She could tell Ino was hiding something, but she didn't know what. No matter how hard Hinata tried, she couldn't escape the uneasy feeling growing within her stomach. By the time they reached Lady Tsunade's office, she felt so sick from worry, she thought she was going to throw up.

Ino knocked on the two cherry wood doors standing in front of them, and then stepped back to wait for permission to enter. It didn't take long for the large double doors to swing open, exposing the desk sitting at the far side of the circular wooden room. A blond pigtailed woman with large breasts sitting behind the desk motioned for the two kunoichi to come forward. As Ino and Hinata made there way inside, they could here the resounding thud of the double doors, as they closed behind them.

Hinata saw a familiar dark haired shinobi take his place next to her in front of Lady Tsunade's desk. His hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, causing it to form short messy spikes on the top of his head. Hinata would never admit it, but he was kind of attractive, especially with the piercings in his ears. He really gave off the bad boy vibe, but the killer was in his personality. Although this shinobi maintained the outer appearance of a bad boy, Hinata knew that he was anything but one in reality. In fact, he was the smartest person in all of Konoha, as well as one of the laziest.

Hinata watched as Tsunade placed her hands underneath her chin and closed her eyes. "Ino, you may wait for Hinata outside, by the front entrance. This is to be a private meeting."

"Yes ma'am." Ino complied, as she shot the man standing next Hinata a dirty look. Hinata knew that she was jealous that he was able to stay, but she was ordered out.

Tsunade waited for the young woman to exit the room and then removed herself from behind her desk so she could look out her window. The moment she saw the fiery blond pacing back and forth outside, she performed a few hand signs and then took her place at her desk once more.

"Hinata, I trust you remember Shikamaru." Tsunade moved her hand in the young man's direction. Hinata shook her head in acknowledgment. "Since he is back from the mission I had sent him on, he will be assisting me in trying to find Sasuke. Do you understand?" Hinata nodded her head in understanding once more.

"We would like you to tell us everything you remember about the day you chased after Naruto into the woods." Shikamaru told her, as he turned is all knowing gaze in her direction.

Hinata could feel her heart beat quicken and her palms sweat as she thought about the events of that day. She remembered chasing Naruto down and him turning into the fiery demon she had encountered before, but if she told them about the beast, or even who the beast was, Naruto may not be able to remain a shinobi. It was very likely he would stripped of his ninja status and forced to live under surveillance and observation as a normal civilian. She couldn't do that to Naruto, it was his dream to become hokage, she had no right to take that way.

"I-I escaped from the hospital and was stopped by Ino. As I fought her, Kiba ran after Naruto on his own because Naruto wasn't alone, Sakura and someone's chakra I had never seen before were there with him. When I finished the fight with Ino, I grabbed her and made way to the clearing too, so I could help out in the battle that raging. When I got there I was confused because Kiba, Naruto and Sakura kept calling the mysterious man Sasuke, but I didn't recognize him. His face was old and had a ghostly hue to it. His hair was jet black and he did have the sharingan eyes. When I went after Sakura, she was resistant and seemed to think she was dating Sasuke and that Kiba had been the one who had betrayed the village. We ended up getting into a confrontation, and she shattered my arm."

Hinata grabbed her left shoulder as she remembered the impact of the pink girl's punch.

"And then what happened, did you do anything back?" Shikamaru pressed. Hinata squirmed under his intense gaze. She felt as though he was analyzing every little thing she did. Every breath she took.

"I-I was scared that she was going to finish me off, so I gathered almost all of my chakra to my right hand and when she attacked me again, I struck her with the excess chakra that shot out of my hand."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin in interest. "And then what happened."

"T-there was an explosion, Kiba had thrown some tagged Kunai at the mysterious man, and they went off suddenly. The fire caused Akamaru to go flying and I was caught in the blaze. The last thing I remember, Kiba attacked the man, and he turned out to be a shadow clone."

"Interesting." Shikamaru said as he continued rubbing his chin in thought. "So what was Naruto doing during all of this?"

"H-he was unconscious when I arrived." Hinata lied.

"I see." Shikamaru's voice trailed away as he dissected Hinata's story.

"Is there anything else you can think of that was significant?" He asked.

Hinata bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest as the two people in the room studied her with interest.

"W-well, there is one thing, Sakura wasn't wearing the same clothes she had been wearing the night she was taken. She had on her normal Kunoichi outfit and the man said something about not being trusted because of his power, and his family being taken away because people feared his power. He seemed to think he had tamed a fox demon before, but I don't know what he meant by that."

Hinata noticed Tsunade jump slightly in her chair at her words.

"I-is that important?" Hinata stared inquiringly at the blond woman.

"Only that if that is true, we may not be dealing with Sasuke Uchiha, but the likely hood of that is minimal at best." Tsunade said thoughtfully.

"Well, based off the facts we have, Sasuke has only shown himself to people as he was three years ago when he left the village, he obviously is after something or someone here in the village. The fact he has returned Sakura suggests that she was only a pawn in his overall goal, not his target. The fact he returned her and didn't kill her tells us he doesn't want to kill unless he has to and it seems that he has free access to the village somehow. My guess is that he is actually here somewhere, it's just a matter of figuring out where, but what is he after?" Shikamaru turned to Tsunade.

"Whoever he is, it seems that he is after the kyuubi, the demon fox." Tsunade provided.

Hinata stared at them in surprise. Did they know about Naruto?

"It seems that he fits the same profile as the person who visited the other villages I investigated." Shikamaru stated thoughtfully. "If he is the same person, it's safe to assume that the fox demon is his ultimate goal."

"I-I'm sorry, but do still need me?" Hinata nervously interrupted.

"Oh, no, we've gotten what we needed from you for now. You're free to go, but keep in mind that we may need to speak to you again Hinata, but for now it's best for you to rest, you've had a rough couple of months." The way Tsunade emphasized her last years, bothered Hinata as she walked toward the doors. There was a sorrow to Tsunade's voice that did not suit her. When she reached the double doors, Hinata looked back at the two figures one last time and was startled to the core at what she saw. They were both wearing the same color. Hinata bit her lip and quickly opened the door. The moment she heard it fall shut behind her, she took off as fast as she could down the halls and didn't stop until she reached Ino at the entrance.

"Whoa! Hold on Hinata, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Hinata's breathing was labored as she opened her mouth to respond.

"Akamaru...Now!" Was all she could manage.

Ino nodded her head in understanding and followed Hinata to the Vet's office. Hinata was moving so fast through the familiar, crowded streets, that Ino was having trouble keeping up to her. She was just a black and purple blur in Ino's eyes.

When Hinata reached the cedar wood building, with a cute sign of a dog carved from the same wood hanging in front of the door, she didn't even pause. With her heart beating in her head, she pushed through the doors and ran to the front desk.

"Akamaru...w...where is....Akamaru?" She breathed at the young girl at the desk, her eyes wide in horror at the color the girl was wearing.

The cute girl, with the red triangle markings of the Inuzuka clan on he cheeks nodded her head in understanding and swiftly stood from her chair and disappeared into the back. As Hinata waited for the young girl to return, she heard the doors open and the heavy footsteps of Ino as she took her place by Hinata's side.

Hinata desperately grabbed at the silver locket around her neck as she waited. _It can't be, no it just can't be_. Suddenly the side door of the office opened and a large white and gray dog emerged. Hinata's heart began beating wildly and her throat tightened as he made his way toward her. Slowly she bent down to pet him, as she waited for him.

The next sound she heard were the light, high heeled, steps of a young woman. The woman made her way into the lobby where Hinata and Ino were with Akamaru. Hinata's eyes went wide in horror as she studied the woman up and down, that color again. Everyone was wearing that color.

"Hello Hinata." Kiba's sister greeted her. Hinata examined the young woman's features as she spoke. Her skin was the same tanned color of her brothers and she had his untamed eyes, but her hair was longer and her face was rounder, more feminine.

"Akamaru is approximately nine years old, sixteen years old. He underwent many surgeries to correct the internal damage he incurred during his last battle with you and my brother. Here is a list of his medication, and his feeding schedule. You will also need to..."

"I-I'm sorry, but w-where is Kiba?" Hinata's words pierced the room, causing all sound and movement to stop. In that moment, Hinata felt her world crumble around her as she choked on her breath.

"You didn't tell her Ino?" Shino appeared from behind the opened side door, his gray trench coat replaced with a black one.

"I couldn't." The blond girl said in shame.

Hinata grabbed for Akamaru, too afraid to face Shino, as he slowly moved closer to her. Desperatly she clung to his furry coat, clinging to anything and everything she could of him, of his existence. It was as though if she didn't hear the words, it wouldn't be real.

Hinata shut he eyes tight, hiding herself from the world, as a strong hand gently touched her shoulder. No, she didn't want to hear it, she couldn't hear it.

"Kiba's dead." Shino whispered in Hinata's ear. At the sound of his words, Hinata threw herself farther into Akamaru, while throwing Shino's hand away. _How could he? He can't leave me like this, he was my protector...my friend. I-I never got to tell him...I never got tell him_. Hinata broke down, allowing the world she had come to know and love to die with him.

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A/N: Okay, so this chapter made me cry, please send me some reviews thanks.


	20. Chapter 20

Hinata locked herself away in her room, only emerging from her lonely solitude in order to fetch Akamaru food and water. She would set the two bowls down next to her door before returning to her bed. She hadn't eaten in days and her hair was tangled and greasy. Akamaru dutifully sat by her side, watching over her as he ate and comforting her when the tears wouldn't stop falling. Night after night, he would hop onto her bed, allowing her to embrace him as she cried herself to sleep. And every night, she would softly whisper his name as sleep overtook her mind. Granting her peace, if only for little while. Some nights she wasn't that lucky, and she would see his face in her dreams. Sometimes, she would reach out for him, his strong rough hands taking her pale fingers within his own. If she focused hard enough, she could feel his tender touch, and his calloused skin upon her own, and then he would disappear, causing the dream to end too soon. When she woke in the morning, she would always find herself clutching a small magenta flower, but no one was ever there. This morning proved to be no different.

It had been weeks now since she discovered Kiba hadn't survived the Kyuubi's attack and Akamaru was beginning to become restless. Normally he would still be lying next to her in the bed, allowing her to hold him as long as she needed to, but this morning, he was sitting patiently at the door, longingly clawing at it. Hinata bit her lip in guilt, she had been so devastated by Kiba's death over the last couple of weeks, she had completely neglected Akamaru. He must have been suffering just as much as she was, if not more and here he was trying to cheer her up. Reluctantly Hinata pushed herself out of bed and pulled on a pair blue pants and a purple sweater.

As Hinata buttoned up her pants, she noticed the extra fabric that now caused her pants to practically slip off her slight frame. Quietly she walked over to the mirror in the corner of her room and looked herself up and down. She had lost a noticeable amount of weight and her face was gaunt and pale. All the life that once occupied her cheeks had vanished and her face wasn't as round.

Hinata sadly walked back over to Akamaru and opened the door. She really didn't want to go out, but Akamaru had been cooped up in her room for so long it wasn't fair. Hinata drifted down the hall, her eyes not seeing as she absently made her way to the garden. There she could be alone, while Akamaru would have room to stretch and run around.

Soon, her and Akamaru were walking through the sea of Sakura trees lining the Hyuga garden. Hinata allowed her new companion to lead her over to the small bench buried within the bright pink trees. She sat quietly, as Akamaru roamed around the property. She could her him panting and barking joyfully as he played with the squirrels and other creatures he found living in the massive compound. Hinata smiled a little to herself, as his sounds broke through the hazy cloud she was living in. Normally Akamaru wouldn't behave like this, he was a ninja hound after all, but she supposed, that even he was allowed to attempt to find some joy after suffering such a hard blow.

Hinata continued to sit on the bench, listening to the white and gray dog as her mind began to drift. It hadn't seemed that long ago, when she would sit here, right on this bench and wait for Kiba. He always came to see her, and this is where they would sit, she would talk to him about her family, her weaknesses as a ninja and anything else that was on her mind. He would sit next to her, quietly listening and when she was done, he would always remind her of how special she was and how he would always, then he would flash her toothy grin and tell her he would never let her fall. He supported her no matter what, even after Naruto left, he was there. Painfully enduring the sight of her longing for another, and then...just when she was beginning to see it...when she was could finally understand how he felt...he...he was gone...and...it...it was her fault.

Hinata felt a hot tear roll down her cheek and she violently shook her head in response. He wasn't coming back, she couldn't sit on this bench, quietly listening to the sounds of Akamaru playing and fool herself into thinking Kiba was going to walk through the bushes at any moment. He wasn't! He was gone and she'd never see him again.

Suddenly Hinata heard the rustling of branches and she quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and closed her eyes as the person drew near. She prayed the person would go away, that if she concentrated hard enough he would leave.

The small breeze that passed by her face told her she had no such luck, as the person took the place at Hinata's side.

"It's good to see you out." The familiar emotionless voice of her cousin echoed through her ears.

Hinata sat frozen in place.

"I...uh...How are you doing? Are...are you okay?" The words escaped his lips awkwardly and Hinata could hear the uneasiness in his voice as he attempted to reach out to her, but unsure of how to do it. Did he really care that much about her?

Hinata opened her eyes and turned to face the strange young man who had come out to see her. Although they were cousins they had never really been close. She had only really gotten to know him over the last few years, as they attempted to break through the strangling traditions of their family. This was easier for her than him, as he had always maintained the belief that Hinata's father had sent his own to his death. From that grudge, he had tried to fight back against the clan, almost killing Hinata in his defiance. When he discovered the truth, that his father had sacrificed himself, he slowly tried to heal the wounds between the two by training Hinata every now again and secretly rooting for her successes. He still had a hard time pushing past the egotistical indifference he had hidden himself behind over the years, so when he tried to reach out, Hinata tried her best to encourage and nurture this side of him, knowing how truly awkward and vulnerable it made him feel.

"I'm managing." Hinata responded distantly. The two sat there in silence once more, their twin ebony locks flying in the heavy breeze.

"H-have you seen Shino?" Hinata asked, breaking the growing tension.

"No, I have not seen my friend very much since Kiba's death." Neji responded flatly, unaware of the slight cringe Hinata made at the sound of Kiba's name. "In fact, no one has really seen him."

Hinata quietly shook her head in acknowledgment of her cousins words.

"W-what about Naruto?" She wondered hesitantly.

"As far as I know, no one has seen Naruto since the incident in the woods, but of course our paths so not cross that often." Neji chanced a look a Hinata's crestfallen face. "B-but you might want to ask Sakura, she is closer to him than anyone else in the village." He added.

Hinata silently bobbed her head at his words and then they went back to sitting in silence. After a few moments, Neji pushed himself from then bench. "I should be going now." He stated. Hinata looked up at her cousin, really seeing him for the first time. The black robes he wore emphasized the pale skin and mystique white eyes of her cousin, but instead of robbing his face of life, brought it to the forefront even more, as the whiteness of his eyes, cheeks and lips were framed by the darkness of his eyes and his clothes.

"No...please, don't go, I could use some company." Hinata pleaded, causing her cousin to hesitate for a moment as he looked into her blood shot eyes. She watched quietly as he silently took his place beside her once more and observed Akamaru playing in the bushes.

After awhile Neji spoke once more. "Did you...?" His voice trailing off in embarrassment.

"Yes." Hinata responded.

"What about Naruto."

"Him as well." Hinata conceded.

Neji shook his head in understanding as he mulled over his thoughts for awhile.

"He was a good friend to you, he was always there for you when you needed him." Neji pointed out.

"Yes, he was." Hinata could feel the tears starting to well up inside of her.

"Of course, don't think that I'm completely blind to the place you draw your strength from." Hinata's heart jumped at Neji's words.

"Although they both have a home in your heart, it would have been selfish of you to try to hold onto them both." Neji looked lovingly down at his cousin, an expression that didn't quite fit his face, like a mask that was made too small.

"I have watched you grow over the last few years Hinata and nothing has amazed me more than how strong you have become. Kiba could see it in you too and he knew where that strength came from. He tried to cling to the old Hinata, to the one that always needed him, but you are a perfectly capable kunoichi now. You no longer need that protection, you're strong enough to protect yourself." Neji explained. "Kiba wanted to be that strength for you, but he didn't know how, but he never would have wanted to see you like this. He died doing what he loved. His unwavering loyalty to Konoha and you allowed him to make peace with his one desire to make sure that you were both safe and protected, no matter what. He wouldn't want you to throw his sacrifice away."

Hinata's tears flowed down her face like a river, blurring her vision and blocking her airways. The locket around her neck grew heavier with every word that escaped Neji's lips and she lightly brought her hand to it, embracing the silver heart tightly within the palm of her hand. As the tears cascaded down her face, Hinata felt the light touch of her cousins palm upon her back. Reluctantly, she forced herself to meet his penetrating gaze, only to meet with the same stone face he always wore. The only thing that betrayed his emotionless expression was the sadness glistening in his pearl white eyes.

"Before I go, I wanted to let you know that Tsunade sent a ninja to call on you."

Hinata looked at her cousin in shock.

"Does she want me to go on a mission so soon?"

"No, it is my understanding that Shikamaru has some questions for you about a small hole they discovered out on the battlefield from that day. They seem to think you might be able to enlighten them on the matter." Hinata felt her stomach drop, if she had to speak with them, they would most likely discover that she had lied to them about the events of that day.

"D-did they say when they would like to speak to me?" Desperation lining her voice.

"No, they did not. However, your father told them you were too distraught to undergo any questioning at the moment, but he would inform them as soon as you were." Neji advised his cousin. Hinata nodded her head in understanding as Neji stood, bowed to his cousin and disappeared into the maze of trees and plants that decorated the great Hyuga garden.

Hinata sat there, quietly by herself staring at the last thing Kiba had ever given her, the guilt of his death eating away inside of her. She was so engrossed in her own grief, she didn't hear the slight rustling of leaves, as the pair of deep blue eyes that had been watching her escaped through the trees, leaving everything but his own guilt behind.

Hinata sat on the bench, all of her memories of Kiba running her through her mind, stopping only on the most vivid one. The one of him from only months before, coming to tell her Naruto had returned. He had looked so sad that day, his head hanging his hands and crestfallen face. Why hadn't she known what he hand meant to her then? She was no better than Sakura, using her friend to protect her to carry through when the one she loved wouldn't even give her a second look. What had she been thinking? Why had she been so blinded by Naruto? Naruto...even now, just the though of his name caused her heart to skip. The chaos on in heart becoming more chaotic and confused as she reminisced about the two shinobi that had dominated her life. Now one was dead, and the other was no where to be found.

Hinata weakly laid herself across the stone bench as she clutched her neck tightly, drowning in her own feelings. She wished she would go numb, she wished she could make the pain in her heart fly away, but she couldn't it wouldn't stop. She just lay on the bench, allowing herself to succumb to the inevitable depression within. Her world went completely hazy once more as she stared blankly at the flowers for hours. Then, as the sun began to set in the sky, she pulled herself from the their bench and called for Akamaru to follow her.

As she opened the great oak door to enter the house, she saw her father standing there looking down on her. A dark and condescending look painted on his face.

"Apparently you haven't grown near as strong as I had thought." He said pointedly. "If you were a true ninja, a true leader, the death of another shinobi would not hang on you so heavily. Death is part of the life of any ninja and only the weak fall apart at it's wake. Perhaps I should have married you off to that boy of the Inuzuka clan after all, then you wouldn't be such a disappointment."

Hinata stood at the door in shocked silence as she watched her father's white robes skirt around his feet while he walked away. Without thinking, she ran to her room and frantically searched her drawers, pulling out shirt after shirt, until finally she found what she was looking for. She clutched the orange sweater to her chest and raced out of the house with Akamaru close behind.

Clouds began gathering overhead as the two lonely figures hurried along the emptying streets of the village. Soon Hinata came to a black, iron rod gate. She hesitated for a moment before pushing it open and heading inside the green, stony field. Hinata's heart beat heavily in her chest as she passed row after row of decorated headstones. Still, she continued down the dirt path, until she reached the very last row. Her pace slowed as she turned down the haunting path, toward the small grave at the very end. The thunder rolled through the sky as the small funeral procession approached their final destination. There was a small canine etched across the tough stone, along with the inscription,

_Here lies_

_Kiba Inuzuka_

_Loyal friend and Konoha Ninja_

Hinata lightly ran her hand across the top of the tombstone as she read the tiny letters. When she finished, new tears sprung to her eyes and her knees collapsed to the ground.

"Why Kiba?! Why did you have to die?!" Hinata sobbed as she clung limply to the cold, lifeless stone. Akamaru slowly sauntered over to his knew companion, nuzzling himself up against her, as a small drop of water escaped from his eyes. The two sat there, in the light drizzle of the darkening sky, like statues frozen in time. Then after what felt like hours, Hinata removed herself from the unfeeling grave marker, wrapped herself in the orange sweater and cuddled up next to the gray and white dog, the last remaining life force of her dear friend.

"I cannot go home Kiba, I have disgraced my father yet again. So I hope, I can make this my new home, I want you to be my new home." Hinata whispered quietly to the night. Almost as if in response to her request, the light sprinkle lifted, and the clouds parted in the sky, making way for two of the brightest stars in the sky to shine down on the sleeping girl and her dog friend.

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A/N: I wanted to add more to this chapter...but I guess it will have to wait...anyways, please review, as always. Oh and to rodz, I'm glad at least someone was happy that Kiba died, I'm still quite shaken up about it myself, but to each his own and your response did make me smile because I thought it was funny. You were suppose to like Kiba you know =] Lol


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto's ran his hands through his blond, disheveled hair as he swallowed another shot of sake. He was sitting at his kitchen table, his legs sprawled out and his back leaning drunkenly against the back of the chair. As he slammed the clear glass onto the table, a bright pink color caught his eye. Clumsily he grabbed for the flower on the table, and held it in his hands, his eyes studying every the curve of every blade and the brightness of every petal. He had given her countless numbers of these over the last few months, and yet...nothing had changed. He still could not bring himself to face her, he could barely even look at her knowing that it was him...that he was the one who had....

Naruto threw the flower down in frustration and placed his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, as he tugged at the light locks on his head. Kiba had been his rival, as well as his friend. They were similar in many ways, they were both quick to jump into battle and were loud and obnoxious at times, even the loyalty they had felt to Konoha...their friends was similar. Kiba had been her best friend and in an instance, he, Naruto had taken that away from her. He didn't deserve to look at her, to even be near her, but still, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Reluctantly, Naruto bent down and picked the flower off the ground. He turned to the window and noted the placement of the stars, it was getting late, he should be going soon. Naruto stood up with a heavy sigh, he knew he had no right to see her, but for some reason, he couldn't leave her alone.

Naruto sauntered over to his dresser and pulled out a black hooded sweater and a pair of matching pants. Then, with the flower in hand and the hood over his face, Naruto made his way out the door, and down the dark path leading to the Hyuga household.

Carefully he crept through the sleeping compound, making sure to wait for the guards to switch shifts before venturing further inside. Naruto effortlessly passesd through the tops of the trees, passing window after window until he reached hers. He sat there perched on the branch, surrounded by darkness staring inside. He had done this hundreds of times before, but for some reason, he always hesitated before entering her perfect room, the thought of her and what he had done causing him to shake uncontrollably and the hate to spill from his eyes. After a few long minutes, Naruto took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes, forcing himself inside.

Naruto cradled the flower safely in his arm as he finished pulling himself quietly through the open window. When he finished dragging his leg over, he paused for a moment inside the black room, waiting for the familiar furry creature that greeted him every night. Naruto waited for a few excrutiatingly long minutes before a daunting uneasiness overtook him. Swiftly, he moved from the window over to Hinata's large bed in a few large steps and searched for any sign of the sleeping dark haired girl against the pure white sheets covering her bed. A cold shiver ran up Naruto's back as he realized she was gone, where could she be? Where would she go?

His mind spun in a drunken haze, as his eyes frantically covered every inch of her room. As he studied the dark empty space, his fell upon the open dresser and her clothes that had been strewn all over the floor. Naruto's heart sank deep into his chest, as he fought back the strong urge to vomit, as his insides constricted tightly together.

Naruto felt the hot, wet tears running down his cheeks, as he sank to the floor in defeat. He allowed himself to completely let go, as he lay there, huddled on the floor, like a small child drinking in the scent of his broken home for comfort. He stayed there for hours, in her room, the complete weight of what happened pressing him down and breaking him a part. Finally, after three lonely hours, Naruto pushed himself off of the ground and disappeared out the window, the small magenta flower still clutched in his hand.

As he moved through the late night, he could see the small hints of light trying to break over the horizon, pushing the darkness aside. Unconsciously he picked up his pace, following the ritualistic pattern he had developed over the last few months. Thoughts tore through his mind as he tried to figure out to say, what to tell his friend when he saw him. He had a right to know, Naruto had been blind to many things in his life, but he could tell...he could see how he had through his eyes.

Naruto landed in the branch of the giant oak that covered the stony yard as a deep pink began to line the ridge of the mountain top. His heart stopped in his chest, and his breath was taken away, as he looked down at his friends grave. There she was, his pale skinned white haired angel. Naruto watched her sleep as he noted the familiar orange jacket draped across her. Instantly, the familiar pain raged through his body as his throat tightened with guilt.

After a few moments, he forced himself down from the tree, he had to do it, it was the least he could do for her now. He stalked quietly closer to the tiny girl and his heart dropped. She looked so frail, her tiny frame less full then he had remebered and her angelic face was smeared with dirt. Carefully, he bent down and gently placed the flower within the palm of her hand, his fingers enveloping hers for a second as his jaw trembled from holding back the tears.

Akamaru sleepily opened one eye, as Naruto gently swept Hinata's dark hair away from her face and stared longingly at her. Then he closed it again, ignoring the young man who visited his new home every night.

Naruto noted the rising sun in the sky and knew he should be leaving soon, but as he stared down at fragile girl in front of him, he grew more and more reluctant, the strong urge to stay by her side tugging at his heart. Right now, she reminded him so much of himself when they were growing up, no home with no place to go. Loneliness the only friend to keep you company, and he...Naruto had done this to her. Tightly he shut his eyes, too ashamed to face her. Sadly, he gathered himself up from the ground and headed back toward the tree, he had no right to be next to her, to even see her.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a tree branch cracking in the distance and he quickly hid up in the hanging branches of the giant oak tree he had taken shelter in before.

As he hovered in the branches, spying on the spot where Hinata lay, Naruto spotted a fresh dirt print sitting next to him on the branch. Somebody had been watching him, just then a friendly head of short pink hair came into view. She was carrying something in her arms, it looked like a small basket of chrysanthemums. Naruto's heart skipped a little, in the old familiar way, as he watched his best friend head toward Kiba's grave.

From the tree, he could see Akamaru nudge Hinata awake, before Sakura found her sleeping next to Kiba's grave. Hinata hurried up and pulled Naruto's orange jacket over her arms, and twirled the pink flower between her fingers. Naruto watched as she then kneeled down next to Akamaru and petted her furry friend as she sliently whispered a prayer to Kiba. Hinata stayed in the saintly position, not daring to look up until the green eyed girl had reached her. Then he heard the two kunoichi greet each other as Hinata brought herself to her feet.

"I'm sorry, it's so early I didn't think anyone else would be here." Sakura apologized as she fiddled with the flowers in her basket.

"That's alright, it's nice to have the company." Naruto cringed at the distance in Hinata's voice. It was vastly different from the warm quietness that usually came from her lips.

"Yes, well...I...uh had hoped to visit Kiba's grave on my own, but...it's nice to see you. How have you been?" Sakura asked. Naruto heard the painful guilt lining the confident charade his old friend put up.

"Mmmm." Was all Hinata could manage as she absent mindedly petted Akamaru. The two stood there in an uncomfortable silence unsure of what to do or say to the other.

"Have you...have you seen Naruto?" Hinata wondered. Naruto's ears perked up at the question, she asked Neji the same thing. Why did she care so much? She shouldn't waste her time worrying about a bastard like him.

"No, I haven't seen him since that day. I've even tried dropping by his apartment, but his either gone or won't answer the door." Sakura told Hinata in a worried tone. "I've even tried going by the ramen shop, but he hasn't seen him either, in fact, Ayame hasn't been there either lately."

Naruto watched as Hinata shook her head, a distant look in her eyes. What was thinking?

Sakura paused for a moment, waiting for some kind of verbal response from her friend, but didn't receive any.

"You know, Tsunade is looking for him to, she has some questions about what happened that day. She told me Shikamaru doesn't think things quite add up, and he wants to talk to Naruto personally about what happened. Unforntunately, nothing I remember is accurate, so they can't really use me to figure out where Sasuke is, or how Kiba..." Sakura's voice trailed off as Naruto noticed the tears welling up in Hinata's puffy lavendar eyes.

"I-I should be going." Sakura stuttered as she qucikly bent down and covered Kiba's grave with the bundle of flowers she had been holding. Then she quickly ran through the empty graveyard and down the dirt road in a pink and black blur.

Naruto watched tentatively, as Hinata looked in shock at the place the pink haired girl had been. Her hand reached for the small locket that always hung around her neck, almost as if she were unaware of what she was doing. Curious, Naruto studied the girl intently as she reached for something in her pocket, it was so small he coudn't make it out from where he sat. Carefully, Hinata unsnapped the silver locket from her neck and opened it in the palm of her hand. Her tiny sobs carrying on the wind and catching in Naruto's ears. When she looked inside, he saw her expression change to one of surprise and then fall back into deppression. Hinata meticulously placed the small object she had removed from her pocket and placed it inside her tiny locket, then she lightly kissed the silvery necklace before clasping it safely around her neck once more, and completely breaking down.

Naruto gritted his teeth and clawed through the tree with his nails. Then, he turned and escaped through the canopy of the trees, Hinata's distraught face etched in his mind. When he reached his apartment, he slipped through the door and locked it behind him. Before relaxing, he made sure every window was locked, every door was secured and every shade was pulled down. Then he discarded his black sweater and his undershirt, as he made his way to his cupboard in search of the strongest Sake he could find. When he finally found a bottle, he took it in his left hand and picked up the shot glass he had left on the table earlier. Then, he threw himself down onto his bed and poured himself a shot as he cursed himself, for his failures, for what he did to Hinata, but most of all, what he had done to Kiba. He couldn't control the animal that raged inside of him, and until he could, he wasn't fit to be a ninja.

"Ha" He laughed out loud to himself. "I should be locked up somewhere for what I've fucking become." He mumbled bitterly as he downed a shot and poured himself another one without missing a beat.

"I'm afraid I couldn't allow that to happen." A voice came from the other side the small apartment. Naruto drunkenly scrambled to sit upright on his bed, sending the sake flying as he flung his legs wildly in the air. After he regained his composure, Naruto tried to see into the shadows of his apartment, but he couldn't make anyone out. Naruto stared at the bottle rolling around on the floor and shrugged his shoulders. "I've had way too much to drink." He said bringing the back of his hand to his forehead in a dramatic gesture.

"Yes, you have Naruto, but that doesn't make me any less real. Don't you recognize my voice?" The mysterious person asked with a hint of disappointment. Naruto just stared into the darkness of his apartment in uncomprehending confusion. "As comrades, you should be able to recognize who I am by my voice alone. I really didn't want to have to do this, but I can see I have no choice." The man sighed. Naruto just stared, as a familiar coat emerged from the shadows.

"Sh-sh-sh, Abarame?" Naruto said in disbelief. "H-How did you get in here?" He slurred as he fell back to the bed.

"It would behoove you to lock your apartment when you leave Naruto."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and eyed the strange shinobi who had been waiting for him. Although Shino's face was covered by the black overcoat he wore, and sunglasses, Naruto could tell his cheeks were puffier and the skin around his glasses was redder, as if he had been crying.

"I can't stay here long. I...I really don't go out anymore, lately I've been a home body, not wanting to go out, not wanting to anyone." Shino mused on this last statement for a moment. "Actually, the truth is I haven't been able to bring myself to leave my house lately, and I haven't been able to see anyone. The only exception to this rule is where Hinata is concerned, and that is actually what I came here to talk to you about Naruto."

Naruto's ears twitched at the sound of Hinata's name. Why did that bug yielding guy want to talk to him about Hinata? "What about her?" Naruto asked.

"I've been watching her lately, wanting to make sure she is okay, but she seems to floundering." Shino answered.

"So, what does that have to do with me?" Naruto challenged as he swayed uneasily in his bed, the guilt burning in his soul.

"Hinata needs someone to be her friend right now, to give her the support she needs through this hard time. Normally Kiba would have been the one to do it, but since he is gone, someone needs to fill his shoes, but I-I am unable to fulfill that role, since I have required more support these days than usual." Naruto shrugged his shoulders as the fire began eating away at his insides.

"So what do you want me to do about it? I'm not Kiba." Naruto shot at Shino.

"Yes, but you do care about her and the way I see it, you are the only one who is able to give her the support she needs to get through this. Besides, I already know you've been following her around, not only have I seen you the few times I've ventured out, but my bugs that I have sent out to check on my teammate have seen you as well." Shino countered smoothly.

Naruto ran his hands through his hair and pulled roughly at the ends. He bit his bottom lip ravenously as he thought of all the pain he had caused Hinata, how could he then be the one to pick her back up, knowing that it had been him that had taken away her happiness.

"I-I can't do it." Naruto argued.

"That is not he Naruto Uzumaki I have come to know and respect. The Naruto I know would gladly do whatever he could to help out a friend in need, even give his own life to protect that person and their home." Naruto flinched at Shino's words, as they pierced him to the core.

"Y-you don't understand Shino. You think you do, but you don't." The fire rose inside Naruto, all his pent up guilt overflowing within him. "I took her home, I took her happiness, I can never give that back to her, I shouldn't even be allowed near her." Naruto roared as he threw the bottle of sake at the Abarame. Shino barely moved his head to the side, as the bottle whizzed past his face and landed in pieces on the floor.

"It is a shame you feel that way Naruto, for now you both have no place to go, and you will both fall into irreversible despair without a home to return to. If what you said was true, if you were really the one who took Hinata's friend, protector and home from her, then you should be a man and make things right, instead of sitting around and whining like a child."

"B-but, I...I don't know how to be there for her, I don't know how to truly give someone the love and support they need." Naruto confessed.

"Then you will have to learn how, Naruto. We are not always equipped to handle what is required of us, the best we can ever do is try. Please just go to Hinata, your presence alone will be enough to sooth her." Shino confided.

"How do you know that? What if it isn't? Then what am I suppose to do? I've already hurt her enough, I couldn't handle it if I did it again." Naruto yelled. "I won't do it, I can't do it."

Naruto grew more agitated as Shino calmly sighed, then he turned around and walked out the door. "I cannot make you do something you do not want to do, but you should know, Hinata loved you, before she ever realized her feelings for Kiba. If you let her down now, I'll never forgive you. I'd suggest you sleep with your eyes open." Then the door slammed shut, and the Abarame gone.

Naruto laid back down on his bed. Stupid Shino, what did he know anyway? How could he possibly understand how he was feeling? He hadn't killed a friend, and hurt someone he cared for deeply. Naruto's thoughts lingered on the words Shino said as he walked out the door. 'Hinata loved you, before she ever realized her feelings for Kiba.' 'Hinata loved you' 'Hinata loved you.' The words replayed in his mind like a broken record. Was that true, but still even she had, she would never feel that way once she realized the truth. She would hate and despise him too, besides, he couldn't help her. He couldn't even help himself, he'd never had a family, he didn't know how to deal with a situation like this.

Naruto flipped over angrily and placed his head on his hands. He lay there, in that position for some time, as he mulled over Shino's words. Eventually, he pulled under by the same mistress of sleep who had eluded for months, and for the first time in days, Naruto slept.

A/N: Due to some anonymous reviews, I have disabled the ability to send me reviews without signing in, if you want to comment on my story, I feel that I should have the chance to at least explain my thought processes and such, it's only fair. With that being said, I have found it interesting how far some people have read just to complain to me about the Kiba part of the story, apparently you found it interesting enough to read to chapter 20 of a story you don't like, fascinating. I have said this before and I'll say it again, this is not a Kibahina fanfic, I made a Naruhina fanfic with the full intention of making this come into fuition. As for Hinata liking Kiba more at the moment, Kiba just died and she has just realized that she has feelings for him, plus he was her best friend, so please, think about the story and the motives of the characters before leaving thoughtless comments, plus, if you were paying attention, you would have realized the sweater she took was Naruto's, she still needs him and cares about him, also I don't remember making fun of Naruto either. There is a lot of symbolism in my story and many themes, so if you don't understand them, please say you don't understand instead of leaving unintelligent comments. Also, I don't want people to get the impression that Hinata's feelings will magically disappear either; although I intend for Naruto to be with her in the end, they still will have a bumpy road, and neither will completely lose the feelings they hold for the other people in the story. The story I have created is more true to real life than Kishimoto's in this respect. I want people to gain something about the complexity of human nature and the way our feelings truly develop, so I will tell you now, if you want the superficial, passionate, you are the only one for me bullshit many writers give their readers on here, please go somewhere else, because my story won't be that transparent. I mean Stephanie Meyer's has already taken the market on a superficial love based around two characters who never develop and never have to really deal with any real problems, so if you're that kind of fan, please stop reading my story, it's not for you. Plus, the good stuff with Naruto and Hinata is going to get going really soon. So the choice is up to you. Oh, and as always, please review.


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto stirred lightly in his sleep and then was still. Suddenly, he popped up in his bed and looked around the tiny apartment. It was completely dark, Naruto could barely see his own hand in front of his face.

"Shit!" He cursed as he clamored out of bed and peeked through the blinds. The stars were already out and he could see dark clouds threatening to take over the sky.

Naruto quickly ran to his refrigerator and grabbed a single flower, threw on his black hooded sweatshirt and dashed out the door. He didn't even bother checking the great Hyuga household as he took the familiar path down to the graveyard. As he ran through the tree tops, he could see the two stars in the sky, their brightness blurred by his quick movements. A slight pain pierced his heart, as he thought about his date with Sakura. The stars had cried then too. Then he saw it. The faint image of paled face girl in the sky, the one he was always looking for, but couldn't find.

Anger quicky welled up inside of him, as the tears rolled down his cheeks and he gnashed his teeth together. He didn't deserve her, not after what he'd done. Naruto sped up, as the clouds overtook the last bit of clear sky and the crying stars were gone.

He stopp running until he reached the same huge oak tree he always perched on when he visited Kiba. It didn't take his eyes long to search out the small girl he had been looking for.

Her head was laying toward Kiba's grave marker ontop of a white furry object. Naruto's heart fluttered within his chest at the sight of the dark haired angel below him, but the feeling was quickly replaced by the all too familiar stabbing pain he had come to know intimately over the last few months.

Naruto watched as Hinata moved her hand to her locket and opened it, bending her her neck down so she could see. Quietly she lay in the dark just staring intently at the insides of the silver heart. What did she carry around inside that thing? He wondered as he strained his eyes to see.

The tears voluntarily rolled down Hinata's face as she stared at the two pictures in front of her. "Kiba." She whispered finally. As she stared at the tiny picture of the dark boys features. "You had been the one to give me the strength I needed that day, I thought it was Naruto, but it was you and I...and I...couldn't protect you." She sobbed as she pulled her knees into her chest. "You died because of me, because I made you vow to protect him with your life and I never got to tell you...you never knew how much I appreciated everything you did for me, how you were always there for me. You died never knowing that I...that I loved you too."

Naruto's heart stopped at her words, and a fresh batch of tears came to eyes as he watched the tiny, battered girl before him collapse to the ground, clutching Akamaru and the orange sweater to her broken soul, as the cloudy sky began to shed cry. Naruto stayed and watched over the fragile girl, as the tiny sprinkles hit his head, one after the other.

He twirled the pink flower in his hands, as he debated with his inner voice. He wanted to go, he needed to go, but he couldn't bring himself to give her the flower and leave. Still, he couldn't do anymore than Shino could for her. All he could do was make sure she was okay and shouldn't even be allowed to do that.

The rain lightly fell over the village, as Naruto maintained his vigilant watch over Hinata; although he felt he couldn't and shouldn't take care of her, he felt reluctant to tear himself away from the sleeping girl, as she shivered in her sleep.

Finally, Naruto decided he had stayed and watched over her long enough. It had been hours since he had left his apartment, and he needed to return, before someone discovered him, or she woke up. Softly, Naruto jumped to the ground and made his way over to Hinata. Gently, he placed the flower in her palm, just as he had the night before, and turned to leave. Suddenly, the sky opened up, allowing the rain to come down harder and faster. Naruto's clothes were soaked through in a matter of minutes, as he hesitated in place.

Hinata shivered in the rain, causing Naruto to look down at her frail form once more. The water slowly slide down her face, tracing the curve of her cheek and the lines of her mouth. He could see her whole body shaking from the cold and he forced himself to look away. What was he doing? What was he thinking? He couldn't help her, he didn't know how. He had killed her best friend, he didn't deserve to do anything for her, he was a beast a monster. If he allowed her to get to close, who knows what he might do. She is better of where she is. Naruto thought as he began walking away. His throat tightening in pain.

Then, through wind and the pouring rain, he heard hit. A weak, and pitiful cry. "Help me." Naruto froze where he was and listened carefully for the voice again, but there was only the sound of the rain. He should his head, disgusted with himself as he looked back at Hinata, shivering in the rain as she lay on the hard ground. I can't help her. He thought as he made himself move forward once more.

Then he heard the voice again, louder this time and trembling uncontrollably. "Naruto...please help me." Naruto ground his teeth together as he stared back down at the unconscious girl. She was sleeping how did she know he was here? The rain ran through his hair, over his face and down his neck, like a river forging a path through the mountains.

"DAMN YOU SHINO!" He growled as he marched back through the mud. Gently he scooped the frozen girl into his arms, and pulled her protectively into his chest. Akamaru gathered himself sleepily off the ground after them.

"Naruto." Hinata whispered as he felt her grab a hold of his sweater and snuggle closer into his chest.

"Yes." Was all he managed as he carried through the graveyard, toward the empty, wet streets of Konoha.

"Naruto I feel so...I feel so numb."

"Please, take me home." She pleaded.

"Okay." He choked, as his throat tightened with guilt. He had told himself he wouldn't get involved, what was he doing?

"Not to my father's, Naruto. I want to go home with you. I want you to make the numbness disappear. I want you to make me feel again." She whimpered softly.

Naruto's heart stopped for a moment, sending shock wave of yearning and guilt throughout his body. He knew if he took her back to her house, she would just end up back with Kiba. She would never leave his side and would probably die from the cold. He couldn't deny that he wanted her to be with him, that he had an unexplainable urge to want to take care of her, to make her happy, but he didn't know how. He'd never had a family and he'd taken something so precious to her. How would she ever get over that? Would she be able to get over it?

Naruto reluctantly opened his mouth in response. "Okay." Was all he could say to her, to the poor girl in his arms who had just lost her entire world. Hinata huddled closer to his chest and desperately wrapped her arms around him as he made his way back to the apartment, through the howling wind and powerful rainstorm.

When he reached the small building, he quickly unlocked the door and slipped inside, waiting for Akamaru before closing and locking the door behind him. Naruto continued to proceed to his bed, he could feel Hinata's petite frame shaking violently against his body. Carefully he laid her down and covered her with a dry comforter. Then he wondered over to his dresser and proceeded to throw off his soaked clothes, replacing only his boxers and pants, as Akamaru promptly shook the water from his fur and jumped into the bed with Hinata. After he had finished changing, Naruto went into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of sake and a fresh shot glass and resumed his favorite position on the kitchen chair, as he leaned back and downed shot after shot, his penetrating blue eyes never leaving the tiny girl curled up in his bed. What had he done?

Hinata's eyes fluttered softly as something soft gently nudged her awake.

"Akamaru." She smiled sleepily as she searched blindly for his head and gently began stroking his ears. The birds were singing outside, she knew it was a new day, but all she could feel was the nothingness that had come to overtake her heart over the last few days. Hinata tried to shut her eyes extra tight, but eventually gave up on trying to go back to sleep. She mechanically yawned and stretched her arms across the bed. As he hand came down into the soft blankets, she heard a small crinkly sound and felt something smooth under her arm.

Hinata opened her sleepy eyes, and sat up as she grabbed for the paper. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the light, letting the blurriness to fade away, then she looked at the paper that had been laying in bed with her. Her eyes went wide, as she saw the hasty scribbles of Naruto's unrefined hand.

_Hinata,_

_Went out to grab some things I thought you'd need. I won't be back until late. Til then, please stay inside and make sure all the door and the windows are locked. Make yourself at home._

_Sincerely, _

_Naruto_

_P.S. You are welcome to the shower and anything you need until I get back. There are clean towels in the bathroom and you are welcome to anything in my dresser._

Hinata put the letter down and studied the small room she was in. Naruto's apartment wasn't very big, it was basically one giant room with a measly refrigerator, sink and stove located near the front door, along with three small cupboards. He had crammed a circular wood table into the tiny space along with four chairs. The bed was located against the wall in the middle of the place and the dresser sat across from it. The only other true room, was all the way on the other end of the apartment. There was a tiny door, which lead into the small bathroom that seemed to have been attached to the place as a second thought.

Hinata sighed as she noted the old dishes in the sink, the broken sake bottle on the floor and the pile of dirty clothes clinging against the corner of the dresser and the wall. Hinata looked away from the wreck that was Naruto's apartment and turned to the shower. Normally she would have cleaned instead, but things weren't normal anymore she thought as she forced herself from the bed and walked toward the bathroom like a zombie.

Slowly she discarded her dirty clothes and turned the shower on. She checked the water before getting in, and then she crouched against the wall. Her shoulders huddled over her knees as the water ran down her naked skin with the silver locket in her hand.

Eventually, Hinata managed to shampoo and condition her long black hair, her hand stopping right before putting the bottle down. Hinata closed her eyes and inhaled the familiar scent escaping through the top of the bottle. Suddenly, a small, but familiar feeling briefly ran through her heart, as it fluttered lightly in place, then just as quickly as it had come, the feeling faded into the numbness Hinata had come to know so intimately.

After washing the rest of her body, Hinata exited the shower and dried off with one of the black towels piled up on the counter. Then she wondered back into the main room of the apartment and rummaged through Naruto's clothes. She found an old pair of black shorts, that were slightly to big for her and an old gray shirt with the spiral symbol that the blond boy was so fond of. As Hinata finished putting on the loosely fitted shirt, she caught a familiar scent, and a temporary warmth emanated throughout her body once more, and disappeared again, too soon.

Hinata combed her long black hair out with one of Naruto's many combs, and continued to wrap her wet locks into a loose bun on the top of her head. Then she headed back over to Akamaru, who was still laying in a ball on the bed, and wrapped her arms warmly around him, as she took back her spot next to him on the bed.

Hinata petted her friend absentmindedly as she felt herself starting to drown in the darkness that had consumed her the night before, but before she slipped back, her thoughts wondered to Naruto and his sunny blond hair and a small smile crossed her face.

"Perhaps their is still hope." She whispered in his furry ear. Her head sinking back down to the bed as she her thoughts quickly turned to Kiba and that day. Hinata pulled her legs into her, like a ball, and eventually fell into another dark and unfit sleep, waiting for Naruto to return.

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A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, hope you still like it. I've been listening to a lot of fleetwood mac today, especially the song leather and lace, so this chapter may not be quite as dark as i wanted it to be. Anyway, please review, hopefully I'll have another chapter within the next few days, and it will be longer.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: I know i normally wait to do the author notes at the end, mainly because I hate them and it makes them easier for you guys to skip if you don't want to read them, but I have been completely obsessed with this song while I've been writing my story lately, and I just thought I'd share the lyrics with you guys, by you guys I mean the few people who actually follow my story, which is a very small handful of people, trust me =} Anyway, I just think that this song fits Hinata and Naruto where they are right now in the story, so yeah, I guess you could say I've been drawing inspiration for my story from this song. Most people won't probably know it because it is so old, but I have a very broad, and eclectic collection of music that I like and listen to, so yeah...I hope you see the connection, at least a little.

Leather and Lace

By Fleetwood Mac

Is love so fragile...  
And the heart so hollow  
Shatter with words...  
Impossible to follow  
Youre saying Im fragile... I try not to be  
I search only... for something I cant see

I have my own life... and I am stronger  
Than you know  
But I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you wont be walking out the door  
Still I carry this feeling  
When you walked into my house  
That you wont be walking out the door

Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather...  
Take from me... my lace

You in the moonlight  
With your sleepy eyes  
Could you ever love a man like me  
And you were right  
When I walked into your house  
I knew Id never want to leave  
Sometimes Im a strong man  
Sometimes cold and scared  
And sometimes I cry  
But that time I saw you  
I knew with you to light my nights  
Somehow Id get by  
First time I saw you  
I knew with you to light my nights  
Somehow I would get by

Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather...  
Take from me... my lace

Lovers forever... face to face  
My city or mountains  
Stay with me stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you to stay  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me... my lace  
Take from me... my lace  
Take from me... my lace

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Hinata woke up to find the sun had gone down and the moon had come up and Akamaru had left the bed sometime ago. She shifted in the bed, as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the dark ceiling.

"I see you've finally woken up."

Hinata's black hair whipped around her face as she turned to her head and her eyes went wide at what she saw. Akamaru was laying at the feet of Naruto who was lounging in the kitchen chair without a shirt, a shot glass glued to his hand. His blond hair was tangled and unkempt and his blue eyes were lined with heavy black lines, while his cheeks were gaunt and pale. Naruto's once tanned and chiseled chest, was bony and small. His lifeless blue eyes looking at her, but not seeing her.

"Naruto." She gasped in surprise. He lazily nodded his head in response as he took a swig from the bottle on the table, completely foregoing the glass in his hand. Hinata couldn't accept that this emaciated, shadow was really her blond shinobi, her Naruto.

"W-what happened to you?" She asked, ineffectually trying to keep the tears from her voice.

"Nothing." He scowled at her, as he took another drink. "Don't ask again."

"But I just..."

"I told you not to ask again." Naruto growled as he slammed the bottle back down to the table. Hinata jumped back in the bed and felt a cold shiver climb up her spine.

Immediately, Naruto's eyes filled with regret and massaged his forehead as he leaned against the table with his elbow for support.

"I'm sorry Hinata, I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. It's not your fault that I...that I...Well, it's just not your fault." His voice drifted off as he finished the last part and he closed his eyes as if he were deep in thought. When he opened them again, he looked at Hinata, almost as if he had set his eyes on her for the first time. Her long hair had fallen out of the loose bun she had it in while she slept, and her eyes were a light shade of red and slightly swollen, only enhancing the lavender hues within her eyes and causing them to stand out more between her long ebony hair and pale skin. She was so perfect, just sitting there staring at him wide eyed, with those perfect, angelic eyes of hers. It was almost as if she were staring directly at the demon trapped within him.

"Since you are going to be staying here for an indefinite period of time, there are some things we need to get straight before anyone gets too comfortable." Naruto stated uncomfortably under Hinata's unrelenting gaze.

"First of all, I need to know if anyone is going to come looking for you here? I don't need to know the details of why or how you left, I just need to know if the Hyuga clan is going to be coming after my ass for hording their heir in my home?"

Hinata cast her eyes down to the floor before answering Naruto's question.

"I-I think that Neji may know where I am, but I don't believe anyone else will come looking for me, at least not for awhile anyway...and Neji, well, he just wants to make sure I'm safe, nothing more nothing less." Hinata answered sadly.

Naruto's mind flashed to the footprint in the tree the morning he was spying on her and Sakura. He thought it had been Shino's footprint, could he have been wrong?

"I see, well then, you probably already know this, but I'll tell you just to be safe. The door, windows and shades are to be locked and secure at all times and we don't answer the door for anyone. It's easier if people don't think I'm even here at the moment, also, you are not to open the refrigerator. I'll be here most of the time, so I will be the one to make us both meals, as for that, I don't think we really need to talk about anything else. Oh, I placed your clothes in the top drawer of my dresser, as for that, you can stay here for as long as it takes you to heal."

"W-why can't I open the fridge, I mean I could cook too."

"I said no, stay out of it." Hinata flinched at his tone and decided to drop the subject as she settled back into the bed and Naruto threw back another drink.

They continued on just like this, Naruto drinking himself half to death, while Hinata slept most of her day away, both too damaged to be of any use to the other. Hinata had even noticed the flowers she had received every night before she came here had stopped, and Naruto's drinking became worse. Her heart ached to see him this way, and she didn't know how to help him, he refused to talk to her, in fact he barely even looked at her, but sometimes, when he thought she was sleeping, he would come and sit beside the bed and take her hand in his. On the nights he was hurting the most, he would speak to her, apologizing profusely for what he'd done, and for not being able to fix it, but when she was awake, he would go back to being the same distant man she'd come to know over the past few weeks.

Gradually, Hinata could feel a new feeling taking over the numbness she had held inside. She could feel the new feeling boiling up within her everytime she looked at Naruto and whenever he put up that wall. She found his behavior frustrating and irritating, he, they, couldn't go on like this forever. Then, when he was sitting at the table, drinking another bottle sake, Hinata finally broke her angry silence.

"You know, can't keep doing that to yourself." She told him pointedly. Her normally soft and caring eyes, hard and unforgiving.

"Yeah, well you don't know what I've done, if you did you hate me too." He shot back as he waved the bottle through the air in order to emphasis his point.

Hinata immediately backed down and stared at her own two hands as Naruto's words sunk in. This was all her fault, it was her fault that Kiba was dead and it was her fault that Naruto hated himself, and now she was watching himself drink himself to death, she couldn't lose him too. She had to push aside her own selfish feelings, she needed to help him. They sat their in silence for some time as Hinata studied her long time love trying to decide how to approach him. Finally she opened her mouth.

"You know, Sakura has been worried about." She whispered lightly. "She told me she's tried coming by to check on you, but you won't open the door, even for her."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in the chair and averted his eyes.

"Yeah, so. She woudn't want to see me either, not after what I did."

Hinata bit her lip, this wasn't the response she had expected.

"You know, Sakura really cares about you Naruto. When I spoke to her the other day, there was a fear and sadness in her eyes I had never seen before when I mentioned your name. You're hurting her with your silence."

"What do you know." Naruto roared at her, as he leaned over in his chair and ran his fingers wildly through his hair. "I loved her for years and now she wants help me? Now she's worried about me? I was so excited when she finally agreed to go with me on that date...and it was like she didn't even care. The moment he even showed up again, she was gone, she didn't care how I felt then, she wasn't worried about me then and I...and I risked my neck for her, like a fucking idiot."

"What is wrong with you, that's not the Naruto I know." Hinata yelled back, surprising both Naruto and herself. "The Naruto I know would never hurt his friends, and he would do anything to help them, to protect them, to give them strength. So what if Sakura loved Sasuke and she left you that night, that doesn't make the love she has for you any less real. For years I never understood her, and I even resented her, but now, finally, I think I understand how Sakura feels, what it's like to be torn between two people you feel such a connection to. I can't blame her now for not understanding how to handle it."

Naruto stared at the fuming young woman on his bed. Who was this girl? She wasn't the same timid, shy Hinata he'd come to know and cherish. Her anger demanded his attention and her small frame seemed more dominating as her movements became more and more feisty with every word she spoke. He had never seen Hinata like this, and for the first time he felt something other then hate, mixed with regret, or the mind numbing effects of alcohol. There was a small warmth in his heart and a desire he hadn't known before.

Naruto pushed the chair back with his foot as he made his way over to the defiant young woman sitting in his bed, his gray shirt hanging slightly off her shoulder, exposing her bare skin. He paused next to the bed and stared down into her hard, lavender eyes, looking for any trace of insecurity she may have. The only thing he found was a deep rooted challenge and strength in her eyes she had never exhibited before. It was almost as if they were saying, this is me, this is who I truly am.

Naruto allowed his eyes to drop from her eyes, tracing the lines of her cheeks, the point of her nose and the fullness of her lips. His mind wondered back to the day he first noticed Hinata's strong and subtle beauty. He remembered wondering how he had never noticed her before, and today was no different as his eyes wandered over her dainty chin and down her long and inviting neck. He felt the hunger inside of him start to grow as he proceeded to let his eyes wander farther down. He stopped when he came to the same silver necklace she had been wearing that day. He remembered how the silver heart decorated her bare chest, and how the pink dress sat low, almost as thought to give it full reign. When he left Hinata that night, there was a look in Kiba's face that he'd never forget, and Hinata seemed nervous, almost guilty when he had found the two together. Then, in the graveyard, she stared into that locket for hours, she never took it off and he had caught her unconsciously grabbing for it more than once over the last few days.

"You loved him, didn't you?" He voice was barely above a whisper and he closed his eyes, afraid of her answer.

Hinata didn't hesitate, not wanting to lose the fire that had flared up inside of her.

"Yes, I love him." She told him, almost as if it were a dare.

Naruto inhaled deeply, as if he were drowning and couldn't get enough air, his insides swirled in a chaotic torrent of regret, jealousy and yearning, as he try to clear his mind. 'She loved you first.' Was the first thought to drift through his shattered mind. Was it true? Could she really have loved him? This unexplored labyrinth of emotion and mystery? Even he had to admit, he knew what it was like feel your insides tear each other to pieces over two different people. Had she experienced that same pain? Still, even if she had, she would hate him, and despise him for what he'd done.

"If that's true, then I'm the last person you should want near you." He growled in a low voice.

"Why is that?" Hinata demanded, watching the muscles in Naruto's arms tighten and the way his naked torso moved when he lifted his hand to run his fingers through his matted hair once again. "You think I should hate you because you did it. Don't you?" She leveled. "But what you don't understand is, if I abandoned you now, it would be like turning my back on him. I could never live with myself if I did that, if I had made him sacrifice himself for no reason."

"Why do say that like it's your fault, I was the one who did it. I'm the one you should blame."

"I can't blame you." Hinata dropped her head in shame, causing her black hair to drape across her face like a shade.

Naruto could feel the rage welling up inside him at the sight of Hinata blaming herself. Suddenly she felt a pair strong, forceful hands around her shoulders.

"I killed him Hinata, you should hate me!" He yelled at the small girl. Hinata lifted her head, so she could look him the eye, as she defiantly shook her head. Frustrated, Naruto picked her petite frame off the bed as he pushed her against the wall behind he headboard, his knees sinking into the mattress.

"HATE ME!" He cried louder, Hinata's eyes steeled as she allowed him to control her body like a puppet on a string.

"No." She whispered.

"WHY WON'T YOU HATE ME!!" Naruto growled, his face inches from Hinata's and his torso encased by her long pale legs.

"Because I still love you too!"

Almost as if a non-existent barrier had been broken down, Naruto pulled Hinata toward him with one arm, causing her to wrap her legs tightly around his bare waist as he kissed her desperately on the lips. Hinata's heart thundered in her chest as they separated and his mouth continued roughly down her neck, only to stop when he reached the collar of her gray shirt.

Hinata ran her fingers through his spiky blond hair, as her other hand ran down his back, feeling the way his muscles rippled and rolled every time he kissed her. Hinata closed her eyes as he gruffly tugged at the ends of her shirt, and sucked on her neck.

"Naruto." She whimpered. "Please, make me feel something other than this."

At her words, Naruto pulled back, his sad blue eyes looking into her mysterious white ones. They were both still, neither daring to move from their intimate embrace, a mixture of different emotions clashing within them. Then, Hinata slowly inched her soft pale hand down Naruto's shirtless back, resting the other on his shoulder. When she reached the top of his pants, she slid her hand along his skin, drawing a line from his back to his stomach and finally to the button of his pants. She fiddled with the tiny clasp as she forced Naruto onto the bed. Her long legs straddling him as she hungrily kissed his neck and chest.

Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise with every touch and soon, he had Hinata on her back, as he eagerly stripped her of her top and pulled anxiously at her bottoms.

Before he could relieve her of them, he felt her tiny frame slink down the bed underneath him, her soft pale breasts tickling his skin as she went. Then, he felt her tug shamelessly at his pants, as she finished the job she had started before.

Naruto closed his eyes, as her warm, wet tongue carefully traced every inch of his member, and he shuddered when she wrapped her entire mouth around his throbbing cock and sucked it all the way down to the base. He moaned in pleasure as she repeated the gesture, allowing himself to revel in every stroke of her mouth until he couldn't take it any longer. Before she could go down again, he forcefully pushed her onto her back and ripped of her bottoms. Then he was on her, ravenously sucking on her neck and massaging her breast as he rhythmically slid himself in and out of her. Hinata moaned in pleasure as Naruto ran his hand through her hair and sucked on her nipple.

"Mmmmm, Naruto." She moaned. "I-I want to be on top."

Before he knew it, Hinata had him down and was methodically dropping herself onto him and slowly picking herself back up his length. Naruto continued to massage Hinata's breast as they bounced in time with her movements and he gently rubbed her clitoris with the other.

Soon, Hinata's breath was fast and shallow, as she began riding him faster. Naruto closed his eyes as he felt Hinata begin to tense up. Just the thought caused his muscles to tighten as they cried out together.

Their muscles contracted uncontrollably as the euphoric feeling of guilt, love, hate and happiness all mingled together to create one perfect moment of ecstasy. Hinata melted into Naruto, as her mind forgot, just for a moment, and Naruto held her close, as he desperately held onto the familiar feeling he had before when he had been with her, knowing it would fade too quickly. Both fell into their own darkness, but never let go of the other as they slept.

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A/N: Umm...yeah. Believe it or not, but I'm actually a little embarrassed after writing this, but anyways, I hope this wasn't too much for some people. Anyways, umm...please review. Thanks.


	24. Chapter 24

Hinata shook violently in her sleep, and her eyelashes were drenched in water. Softly, she rolled onto her side, as she stared absently into the darkness, allowing the tears to roll freely down her face. Memories of Kiba, mingled with images of her and Naruto, flooding her mind. She shuddered, as she pulled her arms tightly around herself. She could feel Naruto's warm skin on her finger tips once, more, but when she pulled back to see his face, her eyes were meet with a pair of dark brown ones, confusion and hate resonating within them. Hinata's throat tightened as she reached out to touch the image in her mind, the tears falling faster down her cheeks and her heart full of self-loathing and regret.

"I'm sorry." She cried as his image faded away, leaving her alone in the darkness of her mind. Hinata clung to the sheets, as an overwhelming guilt ripped through her body. The only thing left for her to do was let go. She lay their in a lifeless heap, next to Naruto, trapped in her own world, unable to escape. Suddenly, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her in. Blindly, she turned herself over and wormed her away from his face, her arms still tucked tightly into her body, as she buried her face, and her thoughts deep into his chest. She could feel the coldness within her fall away, as she listened to his even breathing and a small smile touched her lips as a radiating warmth took over.

The next morning, Hinata awoke to find herself alone. Akamaru wasn't laying in his usual place next to her on the bed and Naruto had already slipped quietly away. Hinata stretched out her arms and back, before flinging her legs over the side of the bed. Lazily she threw on the gray shirt and black shorts she had worn to bed the night before, but had managed to find their way to the ground before she had actually gone to sleep. When she finished putting on her shorts, she realized there was a large white ball, desperately looking for a way into the tiny bathroom.

Hinata quickly made her way to the door and tried to turn the knob, but it wouldn't move.

"Byakugan." Hinata could see the dwindling blue chakra flowing through the curled up body on the floor. "Naruto!" She cried as she frantically pulled on the locked door. "Naruto let me in!" Hinata's heart beat quickened as she bit her bottom lip and looked around the tiny apartment. There had to be something...anything....her gaze fell on the kitchen drawers and Hinata flew across to the small space and flung open the drawer she had been staring down. She hurriedly grabbed the first knife she could see and quickly made her back across the apartment, the fear rising in her stomach, as she dug the silver blade into the lock. Her hands shook violently as she tried to undo the latch and the handle fell from her hands. The tiny handle landed on the hardwood floor with a deafening thud, as Hinata automatically bent down to retrieve her makeshift key.

"Naruto! HOLD ON!" She screamed as she took a breath to steady her hand and forced the knife between the latch and the door. Hinata listened to the door as she pushed the handled around, images of her running to save Kiba, as the demon within Naruto slapped him down with his fiery paw filling her head. I've got to do this, she thought, I can't let fail him too. I have to do this, I can do this. Hinata sniffed back the tears, as she heard the latch finally give, and she ran through the door, her heart throbbing inside her head. There was a pull of blood surrounding his body, and he was shivering violently.

Hinata bent down on the floor, not caring as his blood stained her skin, and she slowly began running her chakra filled hands over his body, her Byakugan activated as she searched for his injuries and tried to heal them.

"N-n-no, d-don't." He quietly stammered. "I-I d-don't d-deserve t-this. P-please l-let m-me g-go." He pleaded, his weak blue eyes finding Hinata's soft face.

"I can't do that Naruto.." Hinata bit her bottom lip, as she desperately tried to mend his open artery, the blood squirting all over her hands. "I can't have your blood on my conscious too."

"W-what a-are y-you t-talking a-about I've already told you, I-I was the one who k-killed Kiba. I d-don't d-deserve t-to be h-happy, I-I don't d-deserve you."

"Please Naruto, I can't do this without you. I've been so lost since Kiba died, and the only place, the only person who has brought me any hope, who has bright any light to my dark world is you, and if you take that light away now, I'll never forgive you." She sobbed as the top of his open artery slowly began to close. "Life isn't about hiding from the things we can't face, it's about finding the strength to find happiness through the lonely darkness, and if you take that strength from me, my strength to remember my friend, the strength to love and the strength to find the person truly responsible for this, then I'll hate you forever Naruto. I'll hate you..." She sobbed as she slowly mended the artery with her massive chakra.

Naruto closed his eyes as he felt Hinata's cold hands grab his arm. Then, he felt something sharp and cold run through his skin, but he didn't flinch as the pain seared throughout his body. His emotions reeled, as he reveled in the stabbing sensation from the needle. He dared himself to look at Hinata's sweet face and the pain he had caused her. The pain of seeing her so upset, because of him, cut deeper than any knife and didn't bring with it any kind of satisfaction. He had thought he wanted to die, that he deserved it. The guilt he had felt that morning when he had woken up had been too great for him to bear.

Why should he have been able to feel such pleasure, such happiness, such ecstasy as he had the night before when he had been with her. Kiba was the one who had loved her the whole time, but instead of getting the girl, Naruto had cut his life short and took his life from him. Now, as he stared into Hinata's face, he felt the unfairness and the injustice of his actions. Here she was, struggling with her own pain, her own guilt, and all he could do was think about himself. She was the one who set herself aside, so she could be strong for him. At the same time, she tried to hide her private torture as she helped him through his. Naruto wanted to die now, he knew he truly deserved nothing in this life, but she did, she deserved whatever happiness she could find, she was his Angel. He'd endure this guilty prison, as long as she wanted him too, that would be his sentence, that would be the price he'd pay for Kiba, and for the happiness, the strength she gave him.

Hinata shook vehemently after she finished closing him up. He had blacked out long before she was done, and now all she could do was monitor his chakra with her Byakugan. The sweat rolled down her face and her hair stuck to her face as she cradled Naruto lovingly in her arms, rocking him back in forth, not bothering to wash away the blood.

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Hinata had managed to move Naruto to the bed with the help of Akamaru and then she went to work cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing the blood off the floor and the wall. When she was done, she rinsed out the sponge in the sink and watched as the red water drained down the sink, and wished washing away her hands would be that easy. After wards, she she set to work washing the clothes and dusting the apartment. She wanted to do something, anything to get her mind off of Kiba...off of Naruto. When she finished doing the dishes, Hinata turned around and leaned against the counter, as she admired her handy work. She gave herself a satisfied smile, as Akamaru rubbed himself against her legs.

"This is much better, hunh Akamaru." She said as she bent down to pet him.

When she stood back up, she began to feel the same darkness creeping over her, quickly she looked around the kitchen, antsy to find something else to do. Suddenly, her stomach gave out a low growl. Hinata stared at the refrigerator in longing, Naruto had been out for over a day now, and she had been so caught up in her grief that she had forgotten to eat. She turned her head to double check that he was still unconscious and then she took a deep breath and opened the black door. At first, all Hinata could see was all the uneaten and rotting food inside the small space. Was this why he didn't want her to open the fridge? Well she thought, I might as well get to work cleaning this out too. She quickly inspected the shelves and the inside of the door, it wasn't until she opened the bottom drawer that she found it.

Hinata's breath caught in her throat in she turned back and looked at the yellow haired boy sleeping on the bed, and then back to the refrigerator. Inside the drawer, there were enough for every night she had been there and beyond. Carefully she pulled out the long, stemmed flowers one by one, forming a tiny mound next to her on the floor. When she reached the bottom, she pulled out two barrettes made with the pink petals of the flowers and outlined with black seeds. Carefully, she admired them in her hand, and her heart fluttered lightly. Hinata sat there on the floor, quietly enjoying the happiness the tiny objects evoked within her.

"You should look inside the drawer one more time." A low rumbling voice came behind Hinata, startling her. The two barrettes shook free from her hands and landed softly in her lap. Naruto gave her a half smile, as she scrambled to pick them back up and gently set them aside. Hinata's cheeks flushed red as she reached inside the drawer one more time, Naruto watching her closely. As her hand came to the bottom of the drawer, she felt something soft and strong. Gently she lifted from the bottom drawer and gasped in surprise at what she saw. It was her, she could see her soft pale face outlined by her sleek dark hair and her ghostly lavender eyes reflecting back at her. Naruto smiled proudly as her eyes roamed every inch of the mirror she held in her hand. Hinata turned the mirror over and noted the way Naruto had used the pink petals of the flowers and green leaves to decorate the outside of the handle and the full part of the back. Then, in black seeds Hinata could distinctly see the letters N and H intermingled together. When she flipped the mirror back over to see herself, she noticed small letters, made from the same seeds.

"I love you." Hinata's heart jumped as the words escaped his lips and she traced the black letters with her fingertips.

"What?" Hinata asked her voice shocked and unbelieving as she continued to stare at the mirror. She could feel Naruto's presence behind her, he was weak from his previous attempt to take his life, and he leaned on a chair for support.

"I didn't know how to tell you before, so I made that for you, hoping you would realize the words underneath the mirror were meant for you, the woman whose reflection would appear above them."

"I-I don't understand." Hinata said in astonishment at the mountain of flowers and the tiny sculptures he had created.

Naruto forced himself over to the woman who had given him his heart and took his place behind her. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him so that they could see both their reflections within the mirror now. Then he turned to her, his eyes still on the picture of them, and whispered in her ear.

"You see, when I'm with you Hinata, I feel happy and content. You have given me a reason to live and above all else a home. I love you Hinata and I want to make you happy, I want to give you the same home you have given me."

Hinata closed her eyes, as he lightly caressed her cheek with the back of her hand. Then after, a moment of silence, Naruto turned Hinata so that she was facing him, and lead her chin with his hand, until his lips lightly kissed hers. Hinata's heart raced in her chest as they pulled away, and she allowed herself to melt in his warm embrace.

"The first thing we're going to do together, is go after the son of a bitch who took our friend." He told her. "Then after we've had our revenge, we're going to immediately come back here and get to work on having a family." He said with a smile, as a tiny bug flew by his head.

Hinata pushed herself away and lightly rapt him on the arm, but inside, she reveled in the contagious sound of his laughter. It had been a long time since she had heard it, and shed didn't want it end. Gently she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, as he hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

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A/N: My story will probably be coming to a close in the next like three to five chapters, I think. Just warning you guys ahead of time. I was thinking about making a sequel to this story, because I think it the story itself will be too long otherwise. Anyway, please review I do appreciate them.


	25. Chapter 25

"So how are we going to go after him?" Hinata's hand twirling in and out of his fingers.

"I don't know." Naruto's face furrowed in thoughtful frustration. "The night he took Sakura, he didn't...he didn't seem right. Why would Sasuke only show us his thirteen year old self? And he mentioned something about home...hmmm..." Naruto chewed on the inside of his mouth deep in thought, while Hinata lay next to him, her conversation with Shikamaru and Lady Tsunade running through her head.

"Could it be possible that it isn't Sasuke at all?" She offered.

"I don't know. I suppose..., but what about his sharingan, there is no doubt that it was real, and there are only two people left who can use it, Sasuke and Itachi." A chill ran up Naruto's spine when he said Itachi's name.

Hinata played with her fingers nervously. "You know, Shikamaru and Tsunade believed there was a small chance that it may not be Sasuke."

"What do you mean?" Naruto looked down at Hinata in surprise.

"Well, after I woke up, Ino took me to speak with Shikamaru and Tsunade. They wanted to know everything I knew about that day in the woods. They seemed to think that whoever it is, is after the demon fox trapped inside of you."

"I don't understand, why would they think it might not be Sasuke then?"

"Because the chakra I saw that day was black." Naruto just gave her a blank stare. "Sasuke's chakra is a deep red." Hinata explained.

"Well, maybe he used his sharingan on you." Naruto countered.

"Maybe, but Tsunade and Shikamaru seemed more interested in the fact that the man made a reference to controlling the demon trapped within you before. Also, I didn't tell them this, but I saw him take a vile of the demon's chakra." Naruto's eyes lit up at this and he stared at Hinata shock lining his face.

"Why wouldn't you tell them that?'' Hinata flinched at his accusatory tone.

"I-I was afraid if I told them about you being the fox demon, that you...that you wouldn't be able to go on being a shinobi and that you would be locked away."

"You should have told them, it would be better if I was locked away, then I couldn't hurt anyone again." He flared angrily at her. All his emotions from that day swirling in a fiery torrent within him.

Hinata flinched under his imposing glare and then forced herself to straighten her back and bring her eyes up to his.

"And what good would that do? You didn't kill him Naruto. It's not your fault, I wish you could see that...I wish you could see it was the person who came to take your chakra. He was the one who turned you into the Kyuubi, he was the one that lured Kiba in to attack him and he was the one that used Sakura to get to you. Don't you see it? The way he's been using everyone to get his revenge for the home he lost, for the people he knew that were killed."

Naruto stared intently at the floor, as he held onto the side of the bed, his back to Hinata.

"What do you mean he lost his home?"

"I don't know, he mentioned something about the village becoming scared of him and his power, and then of his home being taken away from him for that."

"It has to be Sasuke, who else lost their family? Did Shikamaru mention anything else to you? Did they have any idea where he could be?" Naruto turned around and studied Hinata's face as he searched for any affirmation.

"W-w-well, t-they seemed to think he may actually be somewhere in the village."

Naruto hopped out of the bed at her words and quickly threw on a black shirt.

"Where are you going?" Hinata asked as she swatted a small bug out of her face.

"I think I figured it out, I think I know where he is." Naruto answered absently. "I'm going after him and I'm going to make this right. Are you coming?" Naruto didn't even wait for an answer. Hinata watched as he covered the distance from the bed to the door in a matter of seconds.

Hinata scrambled to throw the bedding off of her and pulled her signature purple sweater and blue pants on. Then she ran out the door after Naruto, as the small bug flew out the door behind her.

She followed the sunny blond man down the windy dirt streets of Konoha. The night sky barely lighting their way. He lead her through the business district of of the village and down a few back alleyways. As they went, Hinata noticed the nice buildings were disappearing and starting to become more rugged as they went. The further away from the main part of the city the got, the worse the buildings became, almost as if they had become forgotten relics.

Naruto paused when he approached an area that had been taped off and was surrounded with do not enter signs. Hinata quickly caught up to him, and took her place at his side, as he surveyed the area intently.

"What are we doing here?" She whispered as she nervously played with the silver locket around her neck. Naruto smiled at the small gesture, knowing full well she was unaware she was even doing it. She was uneasy, she always did it when she was uneasy.

"I used to follow Sasuke here after school sometimes, when I was feeling particularly lonely. He would come here and wonder aimlessly around the streets, until he reached the house he was looking for. He would look around before slipping inside. From outside, I could here the low cries of my distant friend, and it would help me remember that I wasn't alone, that I wasn't the only one without a home."

Hinata jumped slightly at Naruto's words.

"Are you saying you think that Sasuke is in there?" Hinata quietly murmured as she lifted her finger in the direction of the ghost town of a clan that had been forgotten long ago.

Naruto ducked under the tape. When he turned around, his face was completely covered in the shadows of darkness, while Hinata glowed in the starlight.

"I know he's here, are you coming?" Naruto offered his dark hand to Hinata, hesitantly, she placed her soft white hand in his rough, gray grasp and allowed him to lead her underneath the tape and into the darkness of the other side.

Naruto put his finger to his lips in warning and together they tipped toed throught the deserted streets. Eventually, Naruto stopped in front of an old house, that looked like it had a garden at one time, the paint was almost completely gone and the windows were broken through. Gently, he stuck his arm out, heeding Hinata's progress.

"Remember, once we're inside, don't look into his eyes." Naruto whispered through the dark.

Hinata shook her head in understanding.

"Do you have plan?" She wondered, desperate for any reassurance.

"I don't know, I was just going to sneak inside with you behind me and attack." Hinata scrunched her nose at him.

"What is that no good?" He asked defensively in the dark.

"Don't you ever learned?" She sighed. "That's exactly what you did when Sakura was taken and it's the same thing you did when decided it would be a good idea to turn yourself over to him and you know what happened both times."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly as he hung his head in shame. He could feel the anger boiling within him at Hinata's harsh reminder, but whether he was mad at himself, or her, he couldn't tell.

"What do you suggest we do then?" He growled through his teeth.

"We need to make a plan." She offered coolly. Naruto just raised his eyebrows in irritation.

"I thought we had one, don't look in his eyes and you should be fine."

"No Naruto, he's strong. He was strong when we fought him, and he may be stronger now, he did manage to steal the Kyuubi's chakra after all and now he's had a decent amount of time to do whatever he wanted with it."

"So what do you think we should do?" Naruto was getting antsy, he hadn't anticipated trying to make any kind of strategy.

"We need to be smart about this and I'm going to need your help, here's what I propose..." Naruto leaned in close to Hinata so he could hear what she was saying. It must have been the soft sing-song tone to her voice, or the warm scent of strawberries that penetrated his nostrils every time her hair moved in front her eyes, something about her calmed and soothed his insides. He couldn't stay mad or irritated with her for long and she was the only person who could ever stop him from running into a battle head first.

When she finished talking, Naruto stepped away with a smile on his face and stared down at Hinata in wonder. Quickly he kissed her on the cheek, before they both disappeared into the shadows, only to reappear again a few minutes later.

Naruto ran inside the rundown house first, and quietly snuck through the dark hallway. Then he went back and signaled for Hinata to follow him in. Together, they inspected the dark empty house. Their hearts pounding in anticipation every time they entered another room, but always they found the same thing. Nothing. Frustrated, Naruto ran his hand through his hair and stared at the ground.

"I don't understand, why isn't he here?" His teeth were clenched and voice was filled with anger.

"M-maybe we have the wrong house." Hinata suggested tentatively, unsure of how to make Naruto feel better.

"NO! I don't, this was Sasuke's home, this is where his family was...was massacred." Naruto ran his hands roughly over his face.

"Maybe you should face the fact that it might not be Sasuke." Hinata whispered.

"No, it's him, I know it is." Naruto insisted. "He's here, somewhere. We just have to find him." Hinata stepped back as Naruto made his way past her.

"Come on." He said darkly. Hinata followed behind him helplessly as he ran back out the door and into the street.

"If I were Sasuke, where else would I be..." Naruto wondered outloud as he surveyed the shadowy street.

"Byakugan." Hinata searched through abandoned houses, looking for any signs of chakra.

"What do you see?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"I see something moving in the building at the far end of the Uchiha compound."

"The old police station." Instantly, Naruto headed down the starlit streets, Hinata followed him as they passed by unfamiliar buildings and sings. She had never been in the Uchiha compound before, and her heart raced inside her chest as remenants of the bloody massacre stained the streets.

Suddenly, Naruto stopped and poked his head around the corner of the tall building. Hinata could see the chakra inside the police station located at the end of the road. The glowing black chakra was clearer now and she was able to see the outline of the person inside as well.

"Where is he inside?" Naruto asked, pulling his head back around the wall.

I-it looks like he's in the basement." Hinata answered.

Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgement and then moved out from the cover of the building.

Hinata followed silently behind him as he lead her through the dark path to the haunting double doors of the ominous building before them.

As Naruto opened the large doors, Hinata swatted at the bug in her face, the irritation taking her mind off of the cold sweat breaking out all over her body. Nervously Hinata grabbed for her necklace once more, as she followed Naruto down the sinister looking stairwell and to the entrance of the basement.

Before he opened the doors, Naruto turned around to face her. Wordlessly, he ran his fingers through her hair and swiftly brushed his lips over her, sending a shockwave through Hinata's body.

"If we stick to the plan, everything will be okay. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." A sharp pain pierced through Hinata's heart and she grabbed his hand before he could turn back around.

"No, Naruto, I'm the one who won't let anything happen to you." Naruto gave her a quzzical look, but refrained from asking her anything more as he looked into her desperate eyes.

Then Naruto made hundreds of shadow clones and pushed through the old basement door.

Hinata hid behind the wall, her Byakugan activated as she waited for Naruto's signal. She could see every last one of his Shadow clones bulldoze their way in, encase the man in their circle of clones and then pin him down in a giant Naruto huddle.

Hinata bit her bottom lip, as she watched the ation unfold all too quickly. She knew that Naruto had taken him by surprise, but it just seemed too easy. Be careful Naruto she thought to herself, as she watched him head over to the trapped man.

Suddenly, Naruto froze in confusion.

"Y-you're ..."

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A/N: Yes I am ending this chapter there. I would like to thank everyone who has read my story this far, I've had the most visitors this month than any of the others. Also, please review, thank you.


	26. Chapter 26

"You're not Sasuke!" Naruto cried in astonishment.

The man in the ground smiled in amusement, as his short black hair framed his pale face and dark eyes.

"Very good Naruto. I am not Sasuke." He said wryly.

Hinata watched from the other side of the wall, as Naruto shook his head in frustration and grabbed the man by the throat.

"If you're not Sasuke, then who are you, and why have you gone after my friends and me?" He growled, pulling on strange man's black top.

"I thought I'd already told you that Naruto." The man laughed. "I needed you to restore my strength and my home."

"I don't understand."

Hinata surveyed the dark room, as Naruto interrogated the man. Her eyes went wide in interest as she found eight tiny viles of glowing chakra, each a different color. Carefully, she examined the small basement the two were in and realized where they were.

_So that's why he chose to hide in the police station, it holds the ony laboratory in the compound within its walls._

_"_You still don't have any idea who I am, do you boy?" The man lauged at the young man pinning him to the ground_._

"Doesn't Konoha teach you anything in the academy, or is everyone as dense as you?" He said condescendingly as he looked up into Naruto's irritated face.

"I can tell by your expression that you are unaware of the danger you are really in, along with the young woman who is slyly waiting outside the door."

Hinata shivered at his words and wrapped her arms around her waist, while her right hand unknowingly sought out the tiny heart resting on her chest.

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in!" Naruto snarled. "You're the one who is in a precarious position at the moment, so don't make idle threats to me or to Hinata."

"Hinata." The man repeated with interest. "So the girl has a name, a very fitting one at that. I've never seen anyone else who could subdue the demon single handedly. I must say, she has most definitely piqued my interest, as well as yours I see. Does this mean you have finally given up on the pink haired girl?"

A pained expression crossed Naruto's hard face. "I see. Well, I guess true love never dies, but I can't help but wonder if she knows that?"

Hinata's heart pounded deep within her chest and she swallowed the lump in her throat, as a foreign feeling erupted inside her at Naruto's reaction to the pink haired girl and she looked down at her necklace.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Naruto spat at the man, his hand closing tighter around his neck. "Hinata's given me a safe place to go home to, something you wouldn't understand." A small red flash appeared in his deep blue eyes.

The man gave a satisfied smile, as Hinata watched the glowing red chakra in the pit of Naruto's stomach begin to boil.

"Naruto." She whispered in fear.

"Haven't you been listening to me boy, you're the one who doesn't understand me. You've never known the joy of having a home, of building a home, only to have that home ripped out from underneath you. Perhaps I can help you understand me more, by taking away the one person who matters most to you." Suddenly, the man disappeared and the Naruto clones fell to the ground with a hard clatter.

"I told you not to underestimate me boy." The man flickered rapidly throughout the room, destroying each shadow clone, one after the other, until only one Naruto remained. In an instant, he traveled across the dark space and pushed Naruto up against the wall, his hands around his neck.

"You are out of your league boy."

Naruto struggled wildly against the wall, as Hinata waited impatiently for his signal. Her forefingers twirling nervously around one another.

"W-who a-are y-you?" Naruto breathed out, as the man choked him harder.

"I am the man who helped found this village, the one who ran the Uchiha clan, the one who was feared and wronged by the very village I helped create and clan I had lead for so long. I was feared for my power and seen as an outcast. In retaliation, I released the famed Fox Demon on the village, and years later, I wiped out the very clan that deserted me all those years ago. My name is Madara Uchiha."

Naruto's eyes widened in horror.

"I-I thought Madara Uchiha was dead. Besides, you would be like eighty years old if you were him, and you hardly look a day over thirty."

"You really are dense boy. I can live forever. You see, when I took my brother's eyes, after I had lost my eyesight, one of the side effects was immortality."

"Then why did you need me? You told me that you needed me because you were weak."

"Oh, trust me I was. Just ask your friend outside. She was able to see the toll the years have taken on my body. You see Naruto, I may be immortal, but my body doesn't maintain it's strength, so as the years wear on, I become weaker and weaker. My powers fade more and more, that is why, I needed you. I needed the chakra of the Kyuubi to replenish the strength I have lost. And now, I'm going to take the Kyuubi from you, so he will serve as my pet and I his master once more."

Naruto's legs scrambled against the wall. "H-how are you going to do that."

"The only way it can be done, I'm going to kill you." He hissed.

Hinata put her hand on the door handle, ready to attack when he gave the signal.

"B-but why do you need the Kyuubi now?" Naruto asked frantic.

"Because, I need more of his chakra to help rebuild the clan I lost, the clan I mutilated so long ago. I see that I was wrong now. That it wasn't them that should have been punished for their misguided acts. It was me, I'm the one to blame, and now I need the the chakra of all the tailed beasts to bring them back. With the nine-tails by side once again, I'll only need to gather the chakra from one more."

"I see." Naruto let out a low growl. "Your clan wasn't at fault for what you were, just like I shouldn't blame myself for the loss of my friend." Hinata could see the familiar fiery orange chakra erupt within him, effortlessly taking over his body and mind.

_No! He can't handle that._

Instantly, Hinata ran through the open door, hitting Madara from the side as she ran to protect Naruto.

"You little bitch." Madara cried as he pulled himself off the ground and up to his full height.

Hinata watched as his sinister chakra gathered at his, as she desperately concentrated on his stomach.

"All I want to do is rebuild my clan and live in peace, can't you just leave me alone." Hinata bit her lips in confusion, as she strategically placed herself between him and Naruto.

"Your price is too high, you want to rebuild your clan at the expense of another's life." She cried.

"Only one, compared with hundreds and thousands. It is a small price to pay for a home, for my own place in the world once more, the clan's guranteed protection of the fox demon."

Hinata shook her head. "No, I won't let you do it. I won't let you kill Naruto."

"So be it." He said darkly. "I'll just have to kill you too, it'll be such a waste, I wanted to study you a little more."

Loud footsteps came running down the stairs, as Shikamaru, Shino and Lady Tsunade ran through the door.

"Stop right there." Lady Tsunade commanded the sinister man.

Without hesitation, Madara lifted his hand and stabbed Hinata in the heart with a kunai and flickered himself behind Naruto, cutting the young man's throat with the same kuanai he had killed Hinata with. Expectantly, he hovered over the boys body, waiting for something to happen.

"Seize him!" Tsunade yelled as Shino ordered a swarm of bugs to encase the unfamiliar mand and Shikamaru ensnared his legs with his shadow clone jutsu.

Madara stared down at the two bodies on the ground, his red eyes blazing, as his sharingan saw through the facade.

"I see." He laughed maniacally as his limbs began moving toward his captors on there on own and his eyes were blinded by the bugs. "I see. That is why I couldn't control the Kyuubi."

Suddenly, he disappeared, causing Shikamaru to stumble from the absent weight.

"There he is!" Tsunade pointed to the far counter of the laboratory. Shino gathered his bugs into a tight fist and sent them hurling at Madara, as he quickly gathered the viles in his hands.

The giant, flying fist, came crashing down, leaving nothing but chaos and debris behind it. When the dust finally settled, all they could find was the damaged remains of the Uchiha laboratory.

"He got away, how cumbersome." Shikamaru complained as he examined the mess.

"I guess we should gather up Naruto and Hinata' s bodies and..."

"There gone." Shino replied emotionlessly. "They've disappeared, just like Madara."

"They what?" Shikamaru cried incredulously. "This is definitely troublesome. They were bodies, how do they get up and walk away?"

Tsunade walked sullenly over to the place the two young shinobi had been last. A small tear running down her cheek.

"Perhaps it's better this way." She said trying to push back the feelings trying to escape through her eyes. "The counsel wanted me to bring Naruto to them for judgment. They believed he was the one who killed Kiba. They don't care whether it was an accident or not, they have decided he is too dangerous to allow free. Life in a cell would never have been a good one for Naruto. He wouldn't have been able to take, he would have shriveled into a shell of himself and withered away."

Shikamaru walked over to Tsunade and rested his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"It's too bad we didn't at least get the viles." Shikamaru mused, trying to take his mind away from the pain of losing two of his comrades.

Shino nodded agreement as he surveyed the two people in the room with him.

"You guys can on ahead, I'll finish up in here." Tsunade gave Shino a consenting nod, as Shikamaru lead her from the room.

Shino stood in the middle of dark wreckage until he could no longer hear the distant footsteps of the Hokage and his fellow shinobi. Then he lifted his hand into the air, calling the tiny bug hiding in the corner back to him.

"We have work to do." He whispered to the small insect, as hundreds more appeared, analyzing and clearing the mess left in the forgotten room.

When his bugs had finished gathering evidence and collecting data, Shino made his way into the darkness of the night. His eyes catching the three shadows flying over the tops of buildings in the moonlight.

Goodbye my friends, he thought, as six bugs trailed after them. I'll join you soon, but first I must make my way home, for it cannot travel with me, unlike yours.

Shino slowly made his way through the empty streets of the Uchiha compound. The emptiness echoing the death of his friend, as he admired the strength Hinata and Naruto had provided one another. He only hoped his relationship could mimick the balance Naruto and Hinata had found.

As Shino came to the end of the path, he stopped and looked up at the night sky. There he could see her face and a slight smile crossed his face. She had been there when he needed her most and he had no worries that she would be there when he returned again.

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A/N: Alright, I haven't decided if this is the final chapter, or if there is another one coming, if there another one, that will be the last chapter to this story. Please review.


	27. Chapter 27

Shino packed his small pack, they were waiting for him, but he had one more thing to do. Quietly he slipped out of the sleeping house and made his way down the street, his heart heavy. As he turned the bend, he could clearly see the tall open gates leading out of Konoha. A small smile graced his unseen lips and he quickly made his way over to the young woman waiting there.

The moment she saw him, she ran over to him, her long brown hair flying behind her.

"Shino." She breathed as she wrapped her arms around his waist, her brown eyes filling with tears.

"Must you go?" She pleaded.

Shino wrapped his arms around the woman, breathing in her scent. She smelled of spices and ramen, along with a hint of cinnamon. Shino basked in the sweetness of the young woman, knowing full well it would end shortly and he would have to go, unsure of when he would return.

"You know I must. We have to catch this man, it's the only way we can help Naruto."

She cried into his arm a little and Shino tilted her head, so he could see her face.

"I will return to you. I promise." At his words, she lightly pushed herself onto the balls of her feet and gently placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"There's no need to make such promises." A familiar voice came from the gate. Shino turned to see a pair of familiar white eyes, and black flowing hair. Neji smirked at his comrade, as she leaned against the tall pillar that formed half of the gate.

"W-what do mean by that?" Flustered, Shino released his grasp in the young woman and stared intensely at Neji.

"Naruto's already told her she can go. I'm thinking he made the decision with his stomach and not his head, but Ayame seems to understand the danger. Besides, she threatened to follow us even if we didn't allow her to come. So in the end, we decided we could protect her better if she traveled along with us."

Shino stared down at the young girl, who walked over to the gates and pulled her own pack out from behind the pillar.

"See, I'm already to go." She said proudly. Her face beaming at Shino.

"I see." Shino mused. "I have to say I'm not entirely enthrolled with this idea, but at the same time, I know how stubborn you can be. So, I guess we should move out. Hinata and Naruto have waited for us long enough."

The three shadowy figures walked out of the village, wasting no time taking cover in the trees. After they had traveled a good distance away from the village, they could make out two people waiting on the branch of a giant oak ahead of them.

"Hey, it took you guys long enough." Naruto said as he stood up and stretched.

"Sorry." Shino replied.

"So is she your new family jutus you've been practicing all these years?" Shino blushed at Hinata's words.

"We're ready to take off now." Shino answered mortified at his friend's gest.

Naruto and Hinata took the lead, while Neji fell in line at the back. Shino and Ayame ran side by side in the middle. They were silent for awhile and Ayame spoke.

"What happened Shino?"

Shino looked at her, startled by her question. None of the others had filled her in?

"You see, Madara, the former leader of the Uchiha has returned. He was weak at first, so he came to the village, disguised as Sasuke, waiting for Naruto's return. When Naruto finally returned, Madara used his disguise to lure Sakura away, knowing this in turn would cause Naruto to follow, but he hadn't counted on anyone else following after him. Since he was too weak to take everyone on, he had to let Naruto go. The day that Kiba died, Madara had convinced Naruto to seek him out alone, but Hinata and Kiba both followed after him. That is when, Naruto turned into the demon fox and accidently killed Kiba. It was also during this battle, that Madara got his hands on what he was originally after, the demon's chakra. He was able to regain the strength he has lost over the years through this method. Now it seems that Madara has a new goal, he wants to rebuild the Uchiha clan. For this, he needs the chakra of all the tailed demons in this world." Shino glanced at Ayame, who nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately, the counsel decided that Naruto was a threat, and they wanted to lock him up, so we faked his death with the shadow clones. From that, Madara realized that Naruto couldn't control the power of the demon inside him as a shadow clone. A piece of information he found most valuable."

Ayame shivered at the thought of this man running loose.

"So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to find Madara." Shino's eyes hardened underneath his sunglasses. Shino was silent after that, as Ayame thought about what he had said. He would protect her, she was confident about that, but still, it was scary to think that this man was still alive after all this time, wondering around the world.

"Won't they come looking for us? The village I mean." Ayame looked at Shino.

"No, not for awhile. They have no need to follow myself or Neji and they believe that Naruto and Hinata are dead, even though they haven't found the bodies. They probably believe that Madara took them when he used his time portal jutsu to teleport himself out."

Ayame shook her head in understanding and then watched as the blond man in front of her jumped down from the branches they were traveling on and quickly returned, with a beautiful pink offering for the radiant Hyuga girl, her silver locket gleaming in the moonlight.

She smiled as the two exchanged a warm look and felt hopeful as the five of them made off into the night.

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A/N: This is the final chapter to this story, but I will be posting a sequel to it. I'll probably post an author note as a chapter on here, letting you guys know when the first chapter of that story has been posted. Okay, and please review.


	28. Chapter 28

Okay, I've posted the first chapter to the sequel of Young Hearts. The story is called Village Bonds, so if you're interested please check it out.


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